A new race
by Apollo'sgirl
Summary: When Dumbledore prepares to fight Voldemort, he turns to an ancient race of beings for help. Will the magical, shy, and wary race come to terms with their hatred of wizards to bring about the Evil's fall? Set from OtP to DH.


The loud crack accompanying someone apparating startled a thrush into flight. Albus Dumbledore stood at the edge of a rock-strewn field. Dead grass poked up in clumps here and there, and the occasional gnarled tree clung to the scant soil. Ahead the ground sloped up into ragged hills with some snowy mountains behind.

The moment Dumbledore stepped forward, a hostile growl stopped him. A thin, half-starving wolf pounced from behind a scrub bush. The steel-gray fur along its back was raised and it showed white fangs as it growled.

However, Dumbledore remained unphased, a small yet polite smile on his face.

"What a pleasure to meet you," he addressed the wolf softly, "my name is Professor Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts School. I am here to speak with your, ahem, is chieftain the correct word?"

The wolf snarled, bright brown eyes fixed on the professor's wand.

"Oh, how rude of me," Dumbledore added dropping his wand to the ground. The wolf stopped mid-growl and stared up at him in surprise. Dumbledore coughed politely.

The wolf dissolved in a whirl of grey ash. The ashy cloud swirled upwards and began to solidify into another figure. Where the wary canine had stood a fraction of a second before, a young woman dressed in grey robes glared at the professor. Her brown eyes flashed angrily and her cheeks were thin from hunger. Her hair was steel-grey although she couldn't possible be thirty and it hung in careless ringlets.

"What do you want?" behind her human voice was a faint growl.

"I wish to speak with your… leader if that is permissible? As you can see," he gestured towards his dropped wand, "I come on civil terms." The girl curled her lip back, showing her teeth in a wolfish snarl.

"Civil terms? Permissible? Why should we believe you, after everything your kind has put us through? We were lucky to be forgotten for so long! Before you leave, how did you find us?" a note of sheer panic had crept into her voice.

"I did some research, looked into a few dusty texts for some obsolete myths. As for my trustworthiness, I stand before you, unarmed. And I can also vouch that no one knows I am here."

The girl glanced suspiciously around, searching for some hidden attackers. She stepped forward with some trepidation and kicked Dumbledore's wand into a thicket of brambles.

"My name is Moonpaw, Alpha of the Hillpack," Moonpaw said curtly, retreating from the wizard again. "What do you want?"

"Oh, thank you. It is a pleasure," the man replied, -- Moonpaw snorted in disdain at Dumbledore-- "I had no idea who you were. I came to ask a favor of you…"

Moonpaw cut him off, a full wolf growl rumbling from her chest. "A favor?! Of us, how dare you! If you think we are some tame dogs, you will learn better when your throat is torn out and returned to your precious wizards."

"I beg your pardon," Dumbledore remained unsettlingly calm after this death threat, "I can see I misphrased. I am here to… inform you of the rise of Lord Voldemort. In case you had not heard, he has indeed returned."

Moonpaw blanched white. "He's back?" she whispered.

Dumbledore nodded gravely, "I can see that you understand the gravity of the situation."

"Of course. I may have been a young pup, but I grew up in a tense and fearful den."

"And perhaps you also realize that Voldemort will leave no stone unturned, no corner of the world unsearched until he has discovered the remnants of resistance. You might also recall that fourteen years ago, non-wizards were under the oppressive hand of magic?" Moonpaw nodded distractedly.

"My father," she began haltingly, "the Alpha, he told us about it… about the war. He explained to my littermates and me, how the wizards were fighting. How they might come for us… how we had to escape over the mountains if a human entered our territory." Her brown eyes glanced sideways at Dumbledore. "I am the Alpha now. I lead the Hillpack, as my father before me. I will protect them." She spoke confidently, but her voice quavered slightly at the last sentence.

"Of course you shall," Dumbledore said kindly, "if at anytime you or your kin require a meeting with me, you are more than welcome. If I may be so bold, I believe the wolfpeople have their own method of transport?" Moonpaw arched a grey eyebrow and gave a wolfish grin.

The Stonestellar was old, rake-thin, and ragged. His patchy coat hung off his frame and his muzzle was twisted gruesomely. As the Stonestellar, he belonged to no pack, but every pack honored him for his age and wisdom. The Stonestellar lived in the rock pile between Forestpack and Riverpack territory. He gazed silently across the starlit river, waiting. Waiting for the meeting of the Alphas.

A shaggy figure emerged from the bushes on the opposite bank and, jumping into the river, swam across. The second wolf was large and muscled with long red-grey fur. He shook himself dry and wandered over to the Stonestellar.

"Stonestellar," the red wolf nodded respectfully, "am I the first?"

"Not for long, Gravelbark," a lanky, middle-aged man loped around the corner. His hair was light grey, as were the wizard style robes he wore. The Stonestellar turned his head to look at the newcomer, "Welcome, Hazeleye."

The trio sat in silence for a few minutes gazing up at the crescent moon. At last, faint footsteps brought two more into view: an older woman wearing grey and white robes and a young black wolf trotting beside her.

"Gorsetail, Nightfur." the Stonestellar greeted them, "have you seen Moonpaw? We must start soon…"

"I am here," Moonpaw was in her wolf form, her steel-grey hair glittering in the moonlight. The other four Alphas turned to watch her climb the rocky bank. As she sat among them Gorsetail shifted her weight slightly.

"If I may speak first?" she looked to the Stonestellar, who dipped his head in approval, "Moorpack is having difficulties with the human den on the edge of our territory. The humans saw one of our young ones, and they will not leave us alone with their long fire- wands. I would like to request that we be excused from providing the Stonestellar's meals this moon, and we will take our turn two moons later."

"Forestpack can ensure that you will not go without food, Stonestellar," Hazeleye volunteered hesitantly. The other Alphas were carefully looking elsewhere. Food was scarce now, Moonpaw remembered the three pups she had left at the den and the pregnant mother bearing two more.

"It is no longer safe to drink from the downstream river, nor eat any animal that has," Gravelbark said slowly, "we have lost an old one that way." He met their eyes steadily and softly said, "If conditions do not improve, Riverpack will leave and make a new den across the mountains."

The silence stretched on. Truthfully, it was not a surprise. All of the Alphas had considered this option many times, whenever the pack could find only a small, starving deer or they lost a pup to the humans. It was a hard world, but they feared the land across the mountains. But it was not in the interest of the pack to divulge their hardships.

"An intruder crossed into Hillpack's territory. A wizard calling himself Dumbledore," Moonpaw began, ignoring the hostile growls of the other Alphas, "he told me something, something I believe I should share with you here. He said the Evil has returned." Evil was the wolfpeople word for Lord Voldemort.

(You see, wolfpeople do not understand the world as we do. Nor are they completely given over to their animal instincts. Rather, they exist in a secret and forgotten world. For over 200 years they have lived on the edges of society, hiding from wizards and muggles alike. When the ministry of magic had believed in the wolfpeople, they refused to give them wands or let them attend Hogwarts. Similar to the houself, wolfpeople were feared for their ability to do certain magic without a wand. They are primarily shape-shifters, but without a wand there is little they can do.

Over time, the wolfpeople managed to fade into myths and legends. They worry of their own concerns and do not think of the world as a whole. At the same time, however, they have banded into defined packs that gradually have been pushed closer together by muggle development. So it really wasn't too surprising when the Alphas did not respond to Moonpaw's news. Wizarding world, not our concern, doesn't affect the packs.)

"This Dumbledore man," Moonpaw continued hesitantly as the youngest of the Alphas, "said he would answer any questions we might have about the Evil's return." Gorsetail tilted her head to one side, a wolf habit she kept even in her human form.

"Do you mean to say, you actually let him on your territory?" Moonpaw nodded. Nightfur, the black Alpha of the Mountainpack growled.

"You let him go alive? You of all should have taken pleasure in killing him! You dishonor Starfur and Sunfoot's memories, befriending a wizard." Moonpaw's hackles raised ominously and she snarled.

"How dare you speak to me of my family? How dare you mention my father, a noble Alpha, in such disrespect! I speak only the truth, I did what I thought best."

"Peace," the Stonestellar had a commanding voice, "Nightfur, you shouldn't be so quick to judge, nor to disturb Sunfoot's ghost. Moonpaw, you must control your anger and pride. Now is not the time for quarrelling. We must decide our approach to this news."

"What is the harm in doing nothing? Leaving the wizards to the wizards as last time. We survived then, we can survive now," Hazeleye began cautiously.

"We were not sure even then," Gorsetail sighed, "we had no idea that our whereabouts might be traced by enemies. We thought ourselves relatively safe…"

"There is no more food," Gravelbark roared, "none! The water is gone, prey is dying, and every day the humans move closer. We cannot survive on our own, much less battle an evil beyond the wizards." Nightfur nodded in agreement, glaring at Moonpaw. The she-wolf stood quietly as the attention gathered on her.

"My father used to say something to me when I was a pup," she recounted silently, " 'if you don't stand up for something, you won't have anything.' Sunfoot always said they should do something about the Evil, instead of waiting for it to seep into their territory, crawl into their den, and murder them one by one." She glared defiantly across the assembly, "there are pups and old ones in my den and yours. I will not stand by to see my kin die one by one when I could save them."

"Hear, hear," Hazeleye added softly.

"Fools," Nightfur barked, "you are all going to die. You say you will not watch your pack die one at a time, what do you think you're leading them into? Us against wands, we've got no chance. Then the ministry will confirm the wolfpeople exist and they will kill your pups, after you're dead!" Moonpaw and Nightfur were nose to nose by now. The Stonestellar watched calmly, not attempting to restore peace.

"If you are so afraid as to cower in your den," Moonpaw growled, "then there may you stay. As for me, I wish to learn more of this war. If need be, I will allow my kin their own choice, rather than force them one way or another." Breaking away, Moonpaw bounded down the bank and was swallowed by the darkness.

In a quiet grove near the center of Hillpack's territory the pack was gathered. A narrow tunnel entrance that led to the den peeked inconspicuously out from underneath a rocky overhang. Seated atop this overhang was a teenage boy with dark brown hair. Beneath him laid several older people and wolves. An anxious she-wolf watched three pups romp playfully around some very patient adults. A man in his twenties with sandy brown hair relaxed under a twisted oak tree with a pure white wolf nearby. These two were the first to notice Moonpaw's return.

"Hey, how'd it go?" the boy asked, "no one tear each other to bits?" Moonpaw shook her head as the white wolf stretched and yawned.

"Shame, I want to give Nightfur a thrashing," the she-wolf said.

"Sometimes, so would I, Frostfur," Moonpaw agreed wearily. She walked into the grove and the pups tumbled over to her as the adults called greetings. Moonpaw was struck again by how painfully thin everyone was. She was worried that if a sickness hit the camp, they would lose the three old ones and maybe even one of the pups.

"Moonpaw," an old one with grey fur similar to the Alpha smiled up at her.

"Mother," Moonpaw dipped her head in greeting and calling to the anxious she-wolf who shadowed the pups, "Watertail, it is time for the pups to be asleep. It is time for us all to rest. Tomorrow we will try our luck with the hunting." Watertail shepherded the squealing pups back into the den. Gradually, the others shifted their forms in swirls of ash and retreated in wolf form to the underground hollow.

As Alpha, Moonpaw had the right to choose her own resting spot. In the winter, she could have the warmest corners, in the summer the coolest shadow. Tonight she chose to sleep with her nose toward the breeze blowing through the tunnel. Blowing in the change.

Moonpaw dropped the young doe in the center of the grove. Frostfur, who had helped her carry the carcass, went to call the old ones: Moonpaw's mother, Goldensnout, and the two ancient males, Treepad and Deerback. They would eat first, followed by Watertail and the pregnant Robinfur. Moonpaw was especially anxious to see Robinfur eat as she was carrying her late brother's litter.

She retreated to lie just off to the side of the tunnel entrance and tried to lick her muzzle clean of blood. A sandy-haired wolf sat quietly next to her, one of two who had waited for her the night before. He began to slowly and respectfully clean her snout.

"Thank you, Bone," she murmured tiredly, "what did the others bring back?" Bonefang paused to answer.

"Two rabbits, and Claw caught a grouse." Moonpaw nodded wearily; Clawtail was a fine hunter, the quieter of Frostfur's littermates.

Frostfur's human form was stunning; her hair was snow-white and curled down her back. Her piercing blue eyes swept the clearing and caught sight of their quiet exchange. She selected the larger of the two rabbits and carried it over.

"You must eat," Frostfur announced as she plopped the rabbit down and seated herself. Standing, Moonpaw's body swirled into formless dust and settled around her human body as grey robes.

"We all must eat, Frost," she said sadly, "but there is not enough."

"Then we'll go get more, after you eat this," Frostfur was determined.

"There is no more," Bonefang chimed in. When the two girls turned to look he added defensively, "It's the truth, Moon. We hunted all morning to bring that catch in." There were too few of them, too few able to hunt. Too many weak and defenseless. Moonpaw shook her steel-grey hair and nudged the rabbit toward Frostfur with her foot.

Watertail waited patiently for her turn at the meal. It was one of those rare occasions that she was in human form; she usually relied on her wolf senses to help her watch the children. She stood respectfully when Moonpaw approached her and her dusty-brown robes shed leaves and dirt.

"Water," Moonpaw said, "when will you pups be old enough for you to leave the den?" Watertail was at once anxious and ashamed.

"Moon, they are still young. I would not feel comfortable leaving them here for at least another two moons," she apologized. Moonpaw smiled and patted the older mother's shoulder. It was a blow, but in two moons they would have an extra hunter and three promising ones to train.

Dumbledore paced in his office, a discarded Daily Prophet lying on his desk. On the front-page a bold headline announced details of the removal of his Order of Merlin, First Class. The professor didn't mind really, it was just that he was losing respect fast in the wizarding world, and none would believe Voldemort was back.

And there was the matter of Harry. Harry had to be moved to headquarters, and safely too. Dumbledore began going over the names of the guard in his head: Remus, definitely; Nymphadora, perhaps, if she promised to be careful and not damage the house; Kingsley; Alistair? Dumbledore trusted Alistair completely, but he was not sure how Harry would react; the only Moody Harry had ever known was a disguised Death Eater.

A wind blew through his office and Fawks gave a soft call from downstairs. Dumbledore strode across the landing and peered over the balcony, curious to see who would come in without knocking.

Dumbledore quickly descended the stairs when he saw the steel-grey robes and matching hair of the visitor.

"Moonpaw," he said graciously, well concealing his surprise. He had lost hope in the angry, hostile being he had met two weeks previously. Now he noted black circles beneath the Alpha's eyes and a thin, harrowed look in her eyes. "Please, have a seat."

Moonpaw approached the chair warily, given it an apprehensive glance. Dumbledore, seeing the problem, sat down promptly in his own chair, lacing his fingers together and smiling. The tentative woman perched herself uncomfortably on the chair. She had never practiced this odd behavior of humans, and the wood was uncomfortably flat.

"May I ask why I have the pleasure?" Dumbledore asked after Moonpaw seemed resigned to the uncomfortableness of the chair.

"Cloverneck is dead." The flat, dull look in Moonpaw's eyes startled the professor.

"One of your pack?" he asked sympathetically.

"She was only a pup, barely five moons old," Moonpaw moaned, "Just adapting to meat, hardly weaned."

"How?"

"We gave her a woodpigeon. I thought it was safe, far enough from the river. Thank the stars her littermates had none." after a while of silent grief, Moonpaw looked up sharply into Dumbledore's kind blue eyes. "You told me, several suns ago, that if I had questions I could come to you."

"My people are dying," she continued, "Cloverneck, her father, uncle and grandfather. Not just my pack, Riverpack has lost several, the humans are cornering Forestpack. We are not strong, the wolfpeople are fading from existence." Her brown eyes were careful, questioning.

"If you chose to join us, I would personally give you and any with you the best protection possible," Dumbledore swore. The forbidden forest was big enough for at least eight packs of wolves and could keep them out of sight of the students. The students! Inspiration struck as Dumbledore added, "In addition, Hogwarts would be pleased to enroll any of the wolfpeople's children as students."

Moonpaw's unconcealed shock and suspicion spread across her face. "The ministry…"

"Will cope," Dumbledore finished firmly.

"Auroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Moonpaw's howl summoned the Hillpack together. She was seated in her human form atop the overhang. Her family gathered beneath her. Frostfur, Clawtail, and Fleetfoot, her half-siblings. Bonefang and Robinfur with their father Treepad. Old Deerback and Watertail were helping Goldensnout from the den, with Watertail's two remaining pups trailing behind. Sunrunner and Longtooth were looking forlorn after their sister's death. Moonpaw loved them all fiercely.

"Two weeks back," Moonpaw's voice rang over the silent assembly, catching the night breeze and rising to the full moon, "an intruder entered our territory." The pack growled and exchanged defensive and startled looks. Watertail pulled Sunrunner and Longtooth to her protectively.

"Listen to me. He came in peace, though he was a wizard he surrendered his wand to me." shocked silence "He has confirmed the Evil's return, something my father before me believed would happen. Stonestellar, too, believes this human's story. He has offered us a choice: we may live here in peace or join the fight against the Evil. While I give you the choice for yourself, I must remind you. The food is scarce here, and now we cannot even determine whether it is safe to eat. We all grieve to have lost one so young as Clover…"

"…but there is danger in our other option, too. We do not know the enemy but one thing is certain, they will wield their wands with brutal indiscrimination. As for me, I am a fighter. I have fought my life as a battle, everyday has been a struggle. I will not stand by to lose my kindred to a slow death. I will die before I see that happen."

Bonefang and Frostfur glanced at each other and turned to face the rest of the pack.

"I remember the fear from my puphood," Bonefang announced, "and I will not live in fear again. I am proud to be of the wolfpeople. I will fight to survive."

"Frost," Fleetfoot scoffed, "this doesn't concern us, sister! Why should we die for humans? Bone, you speak of survival,_ this _is survival. _This_ is _our _war; the war to hunt and to live; will you forfeit this battle to fight on an enemy's side?"

"This goes beyond sides, Fleet," Moonpaw commanded attention, "this, now, is the fight to survive. However, I will not ask you to do what you think is wrong. You may stay here, along with any like-minded." The Hillpack shifted uncomfortably. At last, Deerback stood up.

"Can we even be sure the Evil has returned?" his once rumbling bark had faded to a whisper, "I was stronger then, I remember. The horror, the relief at once again waking up alive, and then the horror. Over and over. What will it mean to the pack if He has returned?" Moonpaw tilted her head respectfully.

"Wise as always, Deer. I have this here with me, a thing I found in a human dump." She handed him a crumbled, stained newspaper article. Wolfpeople cannot read, but the picture of the glowing skull with a snake for a tongue flamed across the picture. Since none or them understood the strange markings all over the rest of the page, none of the wolfpeople realized the newspaper was dated almost one year ago.

"That is enough proof for me," Deerback responded hoarsely before passing the picture on, "if I was still young, I would join you, too."

"Thank you, Deer. Your support means a great deal to me. And you, Claw?"

The dark brown wolf shifted uneasily. "Moon, it's just… I'd just as soon not leave the bigger portion of the pack unprotected." Moonpaw nodded understandingly.

"For the time being, Frost and Bone and I will continue to live here. If at anytime we were called away, I would not want to leave the pack unprotected. It is the mark of a loyal wolf to put concern for his pack above all else." Clawtail swelled with the praise of his Alpha.

"This rubbish again?!" Nightfur snarled, "I didn't cross a stream and walk all the way here from my den to listen to more lies a wizard told you, Moon!" Moonpaw had requested the Stonestellar call an impromptu meeting of the Alphas together. She had just finished a very similar speech to the one she had given her pack, even bringing the newspaper as proof.

"An elaborate lie, Night," Gorsetail murmured thoughtfully. Night growled in annoyance.

"I think we should at least give our packs a chance to decide for themselves," Hazeleye added.

"Hrmmh!" Gravelbark snorted, "as if any of my pack would fall for this. My kin are pushed to the brink of starvation, Moon. We won't go chasing scorpions if we hunt deer."

"May I take this, Moon?" Gorsetail asked hopefully. When Moonpaw nodded, the other she-wolf picked the paper up and carried it away, back toward the moors. Hazeleye also mumbled his goodbyes and trotted off into the gloomy forest. Gravelbark snarled something about sleep and splashed into the river. Moonpaw noted with some surprise that the river was shallower than usual, Gravelbark barely had to swim at its deepest point.

"I'm going back to my den," Nightfur growled, "stop adding your obsession with humans to our meetings. We've got enough to worry about." Moonpaw found herself alone with the Stonestellar.

"Well, that didn't go very well," Moonpaw said cautiously.

"A bird rightly fears man, child," the Stonestellar told her, "that does not mean every seed he is offered is poison." Moonpaw shivered, wondering if the Stonestellar had guessed that the wizard had offered her food to bring to her pack. Food she had suspiciously refused to accept.

Harry grinned in the giddy exultation of his freedom; he was going back to Hogwarts this year. After his formal hearing for the Patronas Charm had resulted in him being cleared of all charges he had returned to Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

"'Cause, once Dumbledore turned up on your side, there was no way they were going to convict you," Ron said happily, now dishing great mounds of mashed potato on to everyone's plates.

"Yeah, he swung it for me," said Harry. Fred, George, and Ginny were still dancing around the kitchen, gloating about Harry's narrow escape. Ron had just said happily, "I bet Dumbledore turns up this evening, to celebrate with us, you know."

"I don't think he'll be able to, Ron," said Mrs. Weasley, setting a huge plate of roast chicken down in front of Harry. "He's really very bust at the moment."

"HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF…" the twins and Ginny chanted.

"SHUT UP!" roared Mrs. Weasley. The three, still grinning continued their frenzied dance around Sirius. In the quiet afterwards, Harry heard the door open quietly. Everyone looked up and even Sirius smiled. Harry, whose back was to the door, turned to see the newcomer, expecting Tonks or Mad-Eye or one of the other members of the Order. Instead, he saw a young woman with steel-grey hair and robes flanked on either side by a white-haired teenager and a lean, wiry youth.

"Am I interrupting, Molly?" the grey girl asked politely. The girl in white just looked around in amusement at the crowded kitchen.

"Of course not, Moon," Sirius said quickly, "Harry here has just been cleared to go back to Hogwarts." The sandy-haired boy turned to look at Harry with keen brown eyes.

"Oh," the one called Moon replied, "well, that's… nice." She looked and Mrs. Weasley hopefully, almost as though asking a silent question.

"Frost," Mrs. Weasley's voice sounded slightly higher than usually as the girl with impossibly white hair turned towards her, "I have a nice roast here for you." She gestured toward the pantry. The girl, Frost, looked toward Moon humbly.

"Ah, yes," Moon seemed to be spokesperson of the group, "um, Molly, thank you. Bone, Frost." Frost and the young man followed Mrs. Weasley into the pantry and emerged shortly with a huge slab of beef. The two strangers carried it easily between them. Moon grabbed Bone's robes and the three vanished in a swirl of ash.

Harry blinked rapidly. "Who were they?" he asked the room in general.

"Later," Hermione said. Sirius had the oddest dreamy look on his face.

Harry was seated on the edge of his bed, as Ron was occupying most of the center with his long legs. Ginny and Hermione sat cross-legged on the floor while Fred and George had draped themselves over Ron's mattress. The six had gathered in Harry and Ron's room after dinner to keep Hermione's promise to tell Harry about the three strangers.

"… they're part of the Order, we think," Hermione was saying, "but we can't be sure, because no one will say anything about it. They just show up about once a week and take some food from the pantry."

"Mum's not saying anything, either," Fred piped up, "first time we saw them…"

"…they came in with Dumbledore," George continued, "he showed them around the place, introduced them to everyone…"

"Next thing you know," Fred picked up.

"They're eating our dinners," George finished.

"Can you blame them?" Ginny asked quietly, when Harry looked at her she added, "they look like they're starving. They never eat here, either. Just take the food and go. If you ask me, their taking the food back to others like them." Harry was still bothered by one fact that everyone had failed to explain away.

"But how come they can get in and out?" he asked, "I mean, isn't this place supposed to be enchanted like Hogwarts?"

"Only against apparation," Hermione answered sourly, "you know, one day wizards are really going to pay by underestimating other species' magics. Moon, Bone, and Frost can all come and go at will, the enchantments never take non-human transportation into account."

"Well," Ron snickered, "I don't think Sirius underestimates anything about Moon."

"What?" Harry was thoroughly confused now. Ginny sighed softly.

"It is so romantic," she glowed, "Sirius is in love."

"What!"

"What Ginny means," George started cheerfully.

"Is that Sirius is moony-eyed for Moon," finished Fred laughing. "Of course it makes sense, they are both dogs." The twins roared with laughter as Hermione frowned at them.

"The Bone bloke," Ron added, "isn't too happy with Sirius. He better watch his step."

Down in the basement, Mrs. Weasley had hung a scarlet banner over the heavily laden dinner table, which read:

CONGRATULATIONS

RON AND HERMIONE

NEW PREFECTS

She looked in a better mood than Harry had seen her all holiday. "I thought we'd have a little party, not a sit-down dinner," she told Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny as they entered the room. Sirius, Lupin, Tonks and Kingsley Shaklebolt were already there and Mad-Eye Moody stumped in shortly after Harry had got himself a Butterbeer.

"Oh, Alistair, I am glad you're here," said Mrs. Weasley brightly, as Mad-Eye shrugged off his traveling cloak. "We've been wanting to ask you for ages – could you have a look in the writing desk in the drawing room and tell us what's inside it? We haven't wanted to open it just in case it's something really nasty."

"No problem, Molly…" Moody's electric-blue eye swiveled upwards and stared fixedly through the ceiling of the kitchen. "Drawing room… Desk in the corner? Yeah, I see it… yeah it's a Boggart… want be to go up and get rid of it Molly?"

"No, no, I'll do it myself later," beamed Mrs. Weasley. The entire company was surprised to see that the three wolfpeople had come to join the celebration. Sirius was particularly pleased. As everyone crammed around the table, Sirius managed to maneuver he way to Moon's side. A distinctly unhappy Bone sat directly opposite with Frost, her inquisitive blue eyes roaming everywhere.

"I was never a prefect myself," said Tonks brightly, "my Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."

"Like what?" asked Ginny from Harry's left.

"Like the ability to behave myself," said Tonks, causing Ginny to laugh.

"What about you, Sirius?" Ginny asked. Sirius, who was on Harry's right let out his usual bark-like laugh.

"No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge." As he said this, Sirius glanced sideways as though trying to see the effect this news would have on Moon. He was disappointed when he saw she was carefully listening to Lupin and Hermione discussing werewolf segregation. Harry saw Bone smile smugly.

"Mad-Eye Moody was sniffing at a chicken-leg with what remained of his nose; evidently he could not detect any trace of poison, because he then tore a strip off it with his teeth. Neither Bone, Moon, nor Frost had touched the food.

Mrs. Weasley yawned widely, "Well, I think I'll sort out that Boggart before I turn in… Arthur, I don't want this lot up too late, all right? Night, Harry, dear." She left the kitchen. Harry wondered whether he could follow her without attracting attention.

He tiptoed up the stairs in the hall past the stuffed elf-heads, glad to be on his own again, but as he approached the first landing he hear noises. Someone was sobbing in the drawing room.

"Hello?" Harry said. There was no answer but the sobbing continued. He climbed the remaining stairs two at a time, walked across the landing and opened the drawing-room door. Mrs. Weasley was cowering against the dark wall, her wand in her hand, her whole body shaking with sobs. Sprawled on the dusty old carpet in a patch of moonlight, clearly dead, was Ron.

All the air seemed to vanish from Harry's lungs; he felt as though he were falling from the flow; his brain turned icy cold – Ron dead, no, it couldn't be –

But wait a moment, _it couldn't be –_ Ron was downstairs –

"R-r-riddikulus!" Mrs. Weasley sobbed, pointing her shaking wand at Ron's body. _Crack._ Ron's body turned into Bill's, spread-eagled on his back, his eyes wide open and empty. Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever.

"R-riddikulus!" she sobbed again. _Crack._ Mr. Weasley's body replaced Bill's, his glasses askew, a trickle of blood running down his face.

"No!" Mrs. Weasley moaned. "No – riddikulus! Riddikulus! RIDDIKULUS!" _Crack._ Dead twins. _Crack._ Dead Percy. _Crack. _Dead Harry…

"Mrs. Weasley, just get out of here," shouted Harry, staring down at his own dead body on the floor. "Let someone else…"

"What's going on?" Lupin had come running into the room, closely followed by Sirius and Moon, with Moody stumping along behind them. Lupin looked from Mrs. Weasley to the dead Harry on the floor and seemed to understand in an instant. Pulling out his wand, he said, very firmly and clearly: "Riddikulus!"

Harry's body vanished. A silvery orb hung in the air over the spot where it had lain. Lupin waved his wand once more and the orb vanished in a puff of smoke. Sirius was staring at the patch of carpet where the Boggart, pretending to be Harry's body, had lain. Moody was looking at Harry, who avoided his gaze.

After Sirius and Lupin had gently escorted a slightly calmer Mrs. Weasley to her room and Mad-Eye had returned downstairs, Harry found himself alone in the drawing-room with Moon. Moon was still staring at the carpet in incomprehension. Every one in a while she turned to glance nervously at Harry.

"It's gone now." Harry told her.

"What is?" Now Harry was totally confused. Hermione had mentioned that the ministry refused to educate wolfpeople, but it had never occurred to him that they might not know things he did.

"A Boggart," Harry explained carefully, "takes the shape of whatever you fear the most. But it can be banished, like Lupin did to that one."

"Oh," a brief, uncomfortable pause and then, unexpectedly, "I understand why she sees her family's death. I too have lost my family. Similar to you, I understand." Harry nodded.

"My parents," he said thickly, "you?"

"My brother, Sunfoot, went missing when he was almost thirteen human years. We never saw him again; the pack had to assume humans got him. It destroyed Starfur, my father. Everyday, my remaining brother Shadowleg, took more and more responsibility. And then a pack of wild wolves came over the mountains. Shadowleg led an attack, Starfur was too old. When they brought back his last son's body, it killed him. My father was a great Alpha, killed by his grief. Shadow's mate Robin almost died, too. The Stonestellar saved her and the pups, but just. I became Alpha at a mere 19 years old."

"Moon?" Bone had come through the door hesitantly. "Frost says that Sirius has a nice lamb we could take back." He gently placed an arm around Moon's grey-clothed shoulders and led her downstairs, murmuring something about cat-meat that caused Moon to laugh.

Sirius seemed determined to introduce the wolfpeople to the concept of Christmas, which they had trouble grasping. Sirius, Moonpaw, Bonefang, and Frostfur sat at the long kitchen table while Mrs. Weasley chopped leeks in the corner. Fred and George hung brightly colored baubles from every surface while Ginny was on a ladder trailing garlands from corner to corner.

"Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth."

"Who?"

"Jesus, you know, God."

"God?"

"You don't know what a god is?" The three bemused wolfpeople shook their heads. "Well, it, I mean He, is a higher being—"

"Higher than humans believe they are?" Bonefang asked impudently.

"Yes, much, much higher. And He sort of, plans the universe and people's destiny an all that." Sirius replied.

"Someone plans the universe?" Frostfur inquired her head in the idiosyncratic tilt. When Sirius nodded she laughed, "He doesn't do a very good job. I think we should put Dumbledore in charge instead."

"No, it's not like that. God created us, he's above Dumbledore, and He lives in heaven…"

"He lives in the sky?" Sirius was caught off guard by Moonpaw's question, "Up there with the stars and moon? Doesn't he get cold? Is he lonely, no one else lives up there? Why does he control our lives? Doesn't he have better things to do? Wolfpeople don't let strangers rule our lives, why do you follow his orders?"

"Give it up, Sirius," Remus smiled from the doorway, "they don't have gods in their world. I'm not even sure they have heaven."

"Yeah I can see that…" Sirius said wearily as Frostfur and Bonefang took up the questions.

"What do colored rocks and trees have to do with god? Doesn't he have those?"

"Oh course he doesn't, have you ever seen these things in the sky? Why do you give each other presents if it's his birthday?" On and on and on.

"Enough," Mrs. Weasley interrupted desperately.

"Just forget about it, guys," Remus laughed, "Christmas is basically a time to celebrate friendship and love."

"Oh," the three said as though suddenly understanding.

"Does god wear a red and white hat like you put on the elf-heads?" Frostfur quipped. Moonpaw shook her ringlets patronizingly as the wizards sighed.

Christmas was not uneventful at Grimauld place. Although Sirius led the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione on a quest to rid the house of dust, he still managed to find time with Moonpaw. A fact Bonefang found increasingly annoying. Harry, the twins, and Ron came down to breakfast one morning to see the two angry men yelling at each other.

"Mangy old cur! Afraid of a little competition?" Sirius sneered.

"As if!" Bonefang sounded more wolf than human, "can't you give it a rest and see she's not interested?"

"Ha! Anyone can see I'm more attractive than you! Besides, aren't you related to her or something? You'd date your own cousin?" Sirius mimed vomiting.

"I share a den with her," Bonefang spat out, "who's jealous now?" Sirius, his face livid red, drew his wand threateningly. Harry ran between them.

"Sirius, no! Leave him alone," Harry yelled. The door to the kitchen burst open and Moonpaw and Frostfur tumbled out, both in wolf form. Moonpaw took in the scene at a glance. She walked up to Bonefang and began gently pawing at his robes. Bonefang, still glaring at Sirius reached a hand down to her. She gently grasped it in her mouth while Frostfur gingerly held a mouthful of his robes and the dissolved into smoke.

"Sirius, you were going to attack him, weren't you?" Ginny had followed the shouting downstairs.

"I was going to turn him into an oozing, pimpled slug actually."

"Come off it, mate" George grinned.

"Yeah, he's unarmed, and Dumbledore wouldn't like it if you gave him a slug instead of Bone." Fred smirked.

"Sirius," Harry said cautiously, "they call their home a den. I heard Frost saying the entire pack sleeps in a den underground. When Bone said he shared a den with Moon, I don't think he was thinking of what you're thinking." Understanding crossed his godfather's face.

"Oh, I, um, I guess you're right Harry," he said sheepishly, "I better apologize when they come back."

"If they come back," Ginny said ominously.

Hazeleye had brought four of his pack brothers and sisters to Moonpaw. All were interested and willing to hear about the imminent war. In the end, Moonpaw felt obligated to take at least Hazeleye to Dumbledore. To her surprise, the other Forestpack members had also volunteered to come along.

They had appeared in the same large room Moonpaw had met Dumbledore in before. However, the room was empty so the six wolfpeople made themselves comfortable of the thickly padded carpet.

After several hours, the door opened and Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape entered the room. The wolfpeople stood silently, suddenly wary at the prospect of facing three wizards.

"How nice of you to visit!" Dumbledore closed the gap between them and shook Moonpaw's hands. The other wolfpeople relaxed in response, but still maintained a watchful guard towards the other two wizards. After everyone was introduced, Dumbledore conjured a cushion and sat himself on the floor; causing McGonagall to raise her eyebrows. She and Snape chose to stand.

"May I ask what prompted you to come here, Hazel?" Dumbledore politely inquired.

"Moon said you'd give us protection," Dumbledore nodded, "well, I want it. Our territory is everything but gone, wiped out. We also understand you've a large forest that would accommodate us quite well."

"Albus, I feel the need to remind you of Dolores," McGonagall spoke up, "she's looking into everything. Albus now she's sacked Sybil and things don't look good for Rubeus. You can't risk her discovering an entire pack of wolfpeople unrecorded by the ministry living in your woods."

"Minerva," Dumbledore said calmly from his seat on the floor, "I have made a promise. I intend to keep all of my promises. As for Dolores; the forest is a rather large place. The Forestpack is of course welcome to any part of the forest they wish and I can claim I had no idea they were there. It is, in fact, the centaurs I worry about. If they are banishing their own kind… I feel it is unwise to force a change upon them."

At a great length of discussion they finally agreed that Dumbledore and Moonpaw should go to speak with the centaur Magorian. The Forestpack wolfpeople chose to return to their makeshift den and start moving the old ones and pups.

Dumbledore strode into the Forbidden Forest as calmly as though he did this everyday. Moonpaw followed behind, carefully noting the way she could get back.

"Dumbledore, you are not welcome here," a wild-looking centaur armed with a bow and quiver emerged from the gloom almost immediately. "If you value your life, return back to the castle where you know harbor the traitor Firenze." Dumbledore remained undaunted and made a very elegant bow to the centaur.

"Bane, I understand my own presence is troublesome to you, but perhaps my guest could speak with Magorian?" Bane looked Moonpaw over with interest and unhooked a horn from about his waist. He gave three short blasts on it.

Within minutes centaurs of all colors had emerged and congregated around Bane. One with a mahogany horse-half stepped forward.

"Greetings, little cousin," he said bowing to Moonpaw who returned the courtesy. Centaurs and wolfpeople addressed each other as cousins due to their similar positions under wizarding law. "What brings you into our forest? And in the company of a wizard?"

"The wizard is my guide, cousin. And I am here for reasons I'm sure you can all sympathize with. Humans have forced my people out of territory after territory, we have nowhere to go. With our humblest and deepest humility, we feel there is only one place left in this world to the wild things. With your permission cousin, we should like to take shelter here in your forest."

"How many, little one?" Magorian asked solemnly.

"For now, a mere fifteen or less," Moonpaw answered, "At a later time, we hope to move all five packs here."

Magorian withdrew to the other centaurs who argued and debated, pointing up to the sky often. As they stood there in the clearing the clouds drifted apart revealing a full moon.

"It is a sign," Magorian announced, "The symbol of our cousins is in the sky over the forest. If you promise not to kill any of our herd or the unicorns, you may stay here. As it is, humans do not belong in the forest and you may consume them if necessary." Dumbledore smiled serenely at this warning and led Moonpaw from the trees, who promised to return with the Forestpack.

Moonpaw had gone from pack to pack offering them a chance to move into the Forbidden forest. Nightfur had driven her out of Mountainpack territory with savage pleasure, but two of his kin had followed her home.

"We don't want to starve, you see," the one named Haresdeath snorted, "Nor do the mothers and pups back at our den. But Nightfur's stubborn as a mule, the old one's are no better." In the end, Moonpaw persuaded them to return to their territory and encourage the other wolfpeople to challenge Nightfur's decision.

He reception at Riverpack had been me with confusion, apparently Gravelbark had decided not to inform his pack of the Evil's return. The hunting party Moonpaw met was enraged and she was hard pressed to calm them down. She convinced them that the thing to do was talk it out as a pack, and sent them to their den.

Gorsetail came to see Moonpaw, waiting politely at the edge of Hillpack's territory until Bonefang found her there and escorted her to Moonpaw.

"I would also like to move my pack to the forest," she declared, "however, my pack does not agree. Only three of the younger ones wish to come with me. The mothers and old ones refuse to leave their birth grounds." Moonpaw helped her to arrange for a loyal second to lead in her absence. Gorsetail promised her pack that she would visit everyday; many seemed sad and anxious to see her and the three youths leave the den.

Meanwhile, Hazeleye was finding good prey in the forest. He had settled the Forestpack far to the south of Hogwarts. This was a less magical part of the forest, the centaurs did not deem it worth the trouble of journeying to and from to establish a herd there. Deer and other non-magical animals roamed here, along with nifflers, clabberts, and kneazles.

Near the edge of the forest Moonpaw had entered a tense agreement with some of the Mountainpack. The two young males had been joined by an old crotchety wolf who was suspicious of everything and everyone, but who managed to please and befriend the centaur herd. Gorsetail lived not far away, she was hesitant to move too far from the protection of a larger group. About five renegades from Riverpack set up den halfway between Gorsetail and Hazeleye.

Much to her disappointment, Moonpaw had been unable to convince the Stonestellar to leave his rock cave. He insisted that it was his place, and he would die there. However, he encouraged others to do what they thought was right, claiming he was the only one who needed to remain behind.

The wolfpeople had been shocked and angry when told that Dumbledore had fled the castle. It was only after a meeting between the three Alphas and professors Snape and McGonagall that they calmed down. They were afraid that the situation was so hopeless that Dumbledore had chosen to flee rather than meet his doom. Instead, they were highly amused and gave great howls of laughter when they discovered he had stunned ministry officials.

The next day, all of the wolfpeople currently living in the forest came to the very edges to watch loud, brightly colored fireworks come reeling out of Hogwarts. The centaurs had snorted and left, muttering about "foolhardy young foals," but the wolfpeople stayed entranced.

While Hazeleye, Gorsetail, and the Riverpack had fallen back to their dens in the afternoon, the fireworks continued until morning keeping Moonpaw awake all night. Over the next few days, a casual watch on the castle gave the wolfpeople no idea of the chaos inside.

Frostfur claimed to have seen a student levitate a poor niffler into an upper story window. "Such as shame," she had sighed, "wasting food like that." Bonefang and Haresdeath had seen fires rage in some windows while papers were tossed out others.

Another day, Moonpaw had watched as Hagrid led Harry and Hermione into the forest a little north of where she was watching, but had not followed because they were with Hagrid. They had emerged, dirty and with twigs in their hair almost an hour later. The old Mountainpack Yewbreath told her later that the centaurs had turned them back. At least, that was what their cousins said, and being refugees in their forest, Moonpaw was unable to question the truth of this statement.

Nothing truly remarkable happened until sometime after Dolores Umbridge had replaced Dumbledore as headmistress. Professor Umbridge had emerged from the castle one evening leading an unarmed Harry and Hermione. Moonpaw saw them cross the lawn, skirt the lake, and vanish into the trees near Hagrid's vacant hut.

She had followed them at a distance, fearful of being seen by the small, toad-like ministry official. She appeared to have captured the two students, but Moonpaw would not attack until the toad assaulted them.

Moonpaw quickened her pace when she heard shouting ahead. The toad had encountered the centaurs, who were decidedly more violent than their cousins. They had loosed arrows at the toad and she had shot spells at them. Before Moonpaw could react, the angry centaurs had borne the wriggling, protesting toad away. She hoped they ate it.

Distantly, Moonpaw watched as the suspicious centaurs questioned Harry and Hermione. Feeling desperate, she backed into the shelter of the trees; right into Grawp's clearing. Moonpaw had never seen a giant, but she knew that some lived in the mountains beyond Mountainpack's territory. She knew enough from stories to hatch a plan.

The giant was asleep, but Moonpaw could see the rope stretched from his ankles to a thick tree. Transforming into human form, she fumbled with the ropes managing to untie them. Then she morphed again and bit down hard on his little toe.

"Arggggg! Wha'?" The giant peered down blearily at the small grey wolf, he reached to pick her up. But the wolf danced from his grip and bit his finger. "Grrrrrgh!" Grawp angrily sucked his wounded pinkie as he blindly chased the wolf. He did not notice when he outstripped the wolf and blundered into the centaur's clearing.

Shortly after Grawp had chased her cousins away, more students came into the woods. Moonpaw recognized Ginny and Ron, but the sweaty, heavy boy and the dreamy, blonde girl were new to her. As they gave Harry and Hermione wands, Moonpaw relaxed; she had not realized how helpless wizards were without them. Any pups from Hillpack could have surrounded and eaten a toad.

The children were still talking, something about Sirius and the Ministry and flying. Moonpaw was busy watching the trees for any danger to them. It was she who saw the first Thestrals. By twenty-four human years she had seen the death of her brother Shadowleg, her father Sunfoot, and the pup Cloverneck.

The great black-winged horse came silently through the trees. They seemed peaceful enough, but there were two and Moonpaw wished she had brought reinforcements. Perhaps if she went back now… She felt herself fade into that terrifying feeling of nonexistence. She no longer was, she simply drifted. And then she reformed back at the den where Bonefang and Frostfur rested in the cool shade.

By the time she had returned with five more wolfpeople, the six Hogwarts students had vanished. Moonpaw looked up at the sky and whined. Bonefang had found no fresh scent of the children returning to the castle.

The true fear hit only as Moonpaw talked to Professor Snape.

"Potter did _what_?" he asked furiously.

"He vanished with Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and two more—"

"Ms. Lovegood and Mr. Longbottum no doubt," Snape interrupted.

"We believe they may have mounted those reptile-horses—"

"Thestrals," Snape corrected snidely.

"—and flown to the ministry. Something about Sirius Black…" Moonpaw's voice trailed off when she saw the cold fear welling in Snape's eyes.

"Idiot Potter. I told him to close his mind, but arrogant as always he chose to ignore me… Moon," Moonpaw jumped at being addressed, "Find Minerva McGonagall as fast as possible, and tell her the Dark Lord has led Potter into a trap at the ministry. Then go to the forest and get as many fighters as you can."

"Are we going to the ministry of magic, then?" Moonpaw asked.

"Of, course, we've got to rescue that idiot."

"Few of my people will be willing to go into a place that has long considered us slaves and worthless." Moonpaw was angry now. She was not entirely sure she wanted to go.

"Then find those that will and get them to the ministry. Meet Mad-Eye there, go! I'll tell Minerva myself," Snape snapped.

Moonpaw had been right. Haresdeath, Yewbreath, and their companion had refused to come. Gorsetail was visiting the rest of her pack, bringing them food from the forest. The Riverpack renegades hesitated and declined. Hazeleye was out hunting, and could not be found. In the end, her two loyal friends came with her; Frostfur and Bonefang.

Holding hands, they had faded in and out of existence; appearing between Tonks and Lupin as the Order convened a hasty meeting. Mad-Eye took one glimpse with his magical eye at them.

"You lot it?" he growled. Moonpaw nodded solemnly, "Fine, we're taking the flu network. No one can get in the ministry except through that or the visitor entrance. We'll show you how to do it…" he stopped as Moonpaw gave him a patronizing smile and dissolved into a whirl of ashes with her comrades. "Saves time," he grumbled, stumping into the fire after Kingsley.

Sirius and Kingsley watched as the green flames sprung up again and Moody limped from the fire grate. He looked around as first Tonks then Lupin entered.

"Where are they then?" he growled. Sirius fidgeted.

"Who?" Kingsley asked.

"Never mind," Sirius whined, "Let's move!" They ran across the atrium to the golden lifts on the far side. Moody punched the Department of Mysteries button. The elevator was maddeningly slow finally clanking to a halt as a cool female voice announced:

"_Department of Mysteries"_ As the golden grille slid open, Moody stumped out towards the three wolfpeople.

"Decided to come did you?" he asked in mock scorn.

"Oh, yes," Frostfur responded brightly, "No one can get in the ministry, you know. The only problem is, for the last century, wolfpeople haven't existed in ministry laws. We can get in and out of anywhere you please." Moody grumbled good-naturedly as Moonpaw fell back with Sirius.

"You are worried for your pup," she said to him as he clenched and unclenched his fist around his wand. They were running now towards the black door.

"Yes," Sirius replied shortly. He kept his eyes on Moody's back, but he knew Bonefang was watching them from behind. He grinned to himself wickedly; the risk, after all, was what made it fun…

Moonpaw did not notice that Sirius had stopped. She noticed now as her caught her arm and swung her around. His lips brushed hers and she heard Bonefang growl softly. She did not struggle, nor did she kiss him back. The only reason she allowed him this was because he was distraught over Harry, she believed.

"Break up the love fest, you two," Moody growled, "or we're leaving you behind." Moonpaw let Sirius go ahead of her, turning to walk with Bonefang instead. She mimed wiping her lips when Sirius was not watching. A weight seemed to lift from Bonefang's eyes and he snickered.

"Which one," Tonks asked cautiously, looking around at the wall of doors. Then the walls began to spin sickeningly and startled Moonpaw. As she stumbled, Sirius steadied her, looking very pleased with himself. He definitely had not seen the humorous exchange between Moonpaw and Bonefang.

Frostfur lifted her nose in the hair, taking deep breaths as the walls slowed and then stopped. "That one," she pointed to a door near Lupin confidently. Mad-Eye looked at her warily, his magical eye staring at the door. He looked surprised and nodded. The eight of them burst through the door.

Below them, some ten Death Eaters and Harry and Neville stood. Neville was writhing in pain, held firmly by a large Death Eater. Tonks sent a jet of red light at a pale blonde man who was reaching toward Harry. Harry dived behind the large dais he was standing on, but Tonk's spell missed.

Bonefang, Frostfur, and Moonpaw shape-shifted; they could do more good this way. Moonpaw launched herself at the man holding Neville, who promptly dropped his captive as she bit deep into his wand arm.

All was chaos; Frostfur snarled at a huge man with a brutal face. Bonefang snapped a wand in two. Other order members dueled fiercely around them. Her opponent fired a spell at her; Moonpaw dodged just in time. She watched his wand closely, he held it weakly and he clung to his bleeding arm.

"Avada Keda—" the Death Eater screamed, his face twisted in pain as Moonpaw rammed him from the side. He had fallen on his bleeding arm, and Moonpaw grabbed his wand, snapping it easily. "No, no, nooooo!" her victim cried, she silenced him viciously.

There was Moody, lying on the floor. Dead? No, a wound in his head still bled, Frostfur was licking it gently. A man with a twisted face loomed over Harry and Neville, Sirius got there first. Looking up, Moonpaw saw the crazed woman's spell hit Tonks, sending her flying unconscious. There, a large stupid looking man fighting Kingsley with another pockmarked Death Eater.

Moonpaw slammed onto his back. He was heavy, while he staggered under her weight he remained upright. The Death Eaters' surprise at the attacking wolf allowed Kingsley to stun Moonpaw's opponent.

Coming down the steps on the far side of the room, was Dumbledore. The fighting stooped, and Death Eaters fled, if they could walk. Bonefang had bravely cornered one who was shooting spells at him, which the wolf dodged nimbly. Frostfur lay over Moody's body, Moonpaw choked, then realized her chest still moved up and down.

One pair still dueled on. The crazed woman and Sirius were atop the dais, unaware of the new arrival. Sirius ducked the woman's jet of red light; he was laughing at her.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing. The second jet hit him squarely on the chest. The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock. Sirius fell, his back arched gracefully, and he disappeared behind the veiled arch. Moonpaw was looking at it from the side, his body did not land on the other side of the arch. And Harry was screaming, fighting Lupin's hold.

He was gone. Sirius was dead.

Frostfur was fine, apparently hit by a stray spell. It had knocked her out though, and Moonpaw decided to return to their birth grounds. The pack had been worried and they nuzzled the three searchingly. Food was brought for Frostfur and Robinfur licked the blood from Moonpaw's coat. The three limped into the den and collapsed, sleeping until the dawn.

By the time Bonefang, Moonpaw, and Frostfur were ready to leave, the entire pack knew the story of the battle. They whispered about it constantly, discussing it over meals and hunts. They could tell the man who had died had been a friend to the three, and they were careful never to mention him around them. When Moonpaw announced their departure, Watertail steeped forward.

"I wish to fight for my pack also," she announced.

"What of your remaining pups?" Moonpaw asked gently.

"That is why I am going, I want them to live better lives. Free lives. I am ready to fight, for Cloverneck. Robinfur has had her litter, she is the mother now. My pups are old enough to hunt on their own. Longtooth, Sunrunner, learn everything you can. Feed your pack. I am so proud of you." Watertail praised her pups.

The four returned to the forest beside Hogwarts. Moonpaw knew that somewhere in the castle, Harry Potter was grieving. Just as she had grieved for Sunfoot.

Once the other packs heard the news, many more wolfpeople came to join their kin in the forest. Gravelbark reluctantly admitted his error to the young renegades of his pack and moved the Riverpack to the banks of a river running through the forest. Nightfur remained stubbornly aloof, but two new Mountainpack members joined Haresdeath.

Gorsetail also brought two more young fighters, too young. By Moonpaw's estimation they were hardly a few moons older than Longtooth and Sunrunner. But she would not question the aging Moorpack Alpha. Then trouble struck the Hillpack at their birth grounds.

It was Fleetfoot who raised the alarm. One day he appeared in the forest next to Frostfur, startling the deer she was stalking.

"Sorry!" he gasped, "Is Moon around? She better come quick, Sun went to get the Stonestellar but he says there's nothing he can do…"

"Silence, Fleet," Moonpaw ordered, "Start from the beginning."

"Claw was chasing a hare. He followed it right up to the human. The human took out his fire wand and shot Claw. He's alive, but his leg is bleeding badly. The Stonestellar says he can't save him, we don't know what to do." Fleetfoot was panting, his eyes rolled in fear for his brother.

"I'll go," Moonpaw answered firmly. Dumbledore had said once that a witch in the castle could cure anyone of anything. Maybe she could cure fire wand wounds.

Clawtail was struggling for each breath, his leg laid out awkwardly. The ground beneath him was soaked in blood. Moonpaw appeared beside him and Longtooth scooted aside to give her room. The Stonestellar watched with eyes clouded in defeat. Moonpaw laid a hand on her half sibling's coat, and vanished with him.

Madam Pomfrey had tried and failed many times to convince the Hillpack that Clawtail was going to be fine. However, the entire pack stayed vigil with him in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had managed to convince Clawtail to transform into human form, although it caused him great pain. To the wolfpeople's protests on the matter she replied simply,

"I am not a veterinarian. I heal humans," And Clawtail was awake, at least. Dumbledore had been in to visit him, although the school was closed for summer. The professor found a harassed Madam Pomfrey attempting to give Clawtail a potion. Clawtail was too weak to protest, it was his mother Goldensnout and brother Fleetfoot who growled every time the witch tried to get close.

The other wolfpeople watched with concerned interest, neither moving to help Madam Pomfrey or their pack mates. The Hillpack was resting around the infirmary, wolves and humans reclined on the floor, stood on the beds, and generally provided a living obstacle course for Madam Pomfrey.

"Albus, do something," she cried when he entered, "they won't let me treat my patient!"

"Golden, Fleet: Madam Pomfrey is a skilled healer. The potion she has is and excellent anti-inflammatory drought. If you wish, I will test the potion first so that you may see it is not harmful." Dumbledore held out a hand to Madam Pomfrey. It was withered and dead looking.

"Albus, what happened to your hand?!" Madam Pomfrey looked horrified and the wolfpeople grimaced at the black, charred hand.

"Nothing, Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape has given me a potion already."

"You should have come straight to me, I can deal with burns." Madam Pomfrey said officiously. Dumbledore merely smiled and reached to take the potion bottle from the healer.

"I'm sure you can," he said and then took a healthy swig of the anti-inflammatory draught. He poured a cup for Clawtail and offered it to him with a bow. Goldensnout and Fleetfoot looked into the cup suspiciously. Fleetfoot took a long sniff, then sneezed. The two wolfpeople looked humbly toward Moonpaw.

Moonpaw was sitting on the bed across the room. Her muddy paw prints had smeared across the white coverlet, causing Madam Pomfrey to purse her lips. Moonpaw gave a tiny nod, and the protective guards around Clawtail allowed him to drink.

The effect was immediate. Clawtail's eyes brightened, his skin glowed, and even his scruffy brown hair turned glossy. The Hillpack breathed a collective sigh of relief. Goldensnout began licking his hair flat in a no nonsense manner. He grinned tiredly at Dumbledore.

"He'll need to stay another night," Madam Pomfrey announced. "I suppose you'll be choosing to eat in here again?" She looked rather disgusted by the prospect.

"I shall clean up, Madam Pomfrey, since they are my guests," Dumbledore offered nobly. The infirmary was, after all, a mess of mud, fur, and bloody bones. It was understandable that the healer would be somewhat nauseous at the remnant of the wolfpeople's last meal.

Dumbledore beckoned Moonpaw, who at once leaped off the bed, metamorphosing into her human form when she landed.

"We've decided that it is best to move headquarters to Arthur and Molly Weasley's house, otherwise known as the Burrow. Under the present circumstances, well, no one really wants to go to the Black house anymore." He confided sympathetically.

"Yes, the Burrow you say? Sounds like a nice place to catch a rabbit," Moonpaw mused, blinking back sudden tears.

"I'm not sure about that, but I am told they have a splendid infestation of gnomes in their garden. I'm sure Molly wouldn't begrudge any."

"Really? Bless her, she just gives away food," Moonpaw said wonderingly.

When Clawtail fully recovered, he declared his desire to move into the Forbidden Forest. Goldensnout insisted she accompany her oldest living son, but Fleetfoot confronted Moonpaw.

"He'll get killed," Fleetfoot snarled, "you're leading my littermates into a death trap!"

"Fleet, their decision does not concern you," Moonpaw said coldly, "you may stay at the birth grounds if you wish, but Claw and Frost are free to do there own bidding."

"Your precious wizards have put a spell on them," Fleetfoot insisted, "made them go mad. Claw, you saw what non-magic humans can do. Why would you risk battling wizards?"

"Because the wizards helped me when no one else could," Clawtail said calmly, "I would have died. This is my own choice, not one forced on my by magic. I've have been thinking about this for two moons now."

"I'm going, too." Everyone turned to look at Robinfur in surprise. Four tiny pups snuggled close to her belly, afraid of this strange place that was too bright and clean.

"All the fighters and hunters are going," she explained to the room at large, "I need their protection and care. My pups are strong now, but I can't leave them to scavenge for food. I want to be with my family."

"Sister," Bonefang replied solemnly, "the forest is not without risks. We can guard you, but it is not a safe haven for mothers with pups. You could die."

"Then we will die surrounded by family," Robinfur announced simply.

"It is her decision," Moonpaw cut off Fleetfoot's retort, "if she wishes to come, then we will do our utmost to defend her and the litter."

"I don't want to be left behind," Treepad announced suddenly, "I've only two pups, and now four grandchildren. I'll move into the forest, too."

"It's starting to look like if I remain at the birth grounds I'll starve," old Deerback cackled, "unless these two'll feed me." He gestured toward Longtooth and Sunrunner.

"Sorry, Deer," Longtooth replied, "but we're going too."

"No you're not!" Watertail snapped, "You are far too young!"

"They are not so young, Water," Moonpaw soothed, "if we are taking Robinfur's pups, we can keep an eye on these two." Everyone turned to look at Fleetfoot, the only one not to have declared his intention to go.

"What about the Stonestellar? We're in charge of his food this moon," Fleetfoot answered at last.

"We will continue to bring him a portion of the catch, as we did previously."

"Well, I'm not going! At least the den will be quieter without your snoring." Fleetfoot turned on the spot and vanished in a cloud of ashes.

In two nights, before the moon had even had time to properly wane, Fleetfoot appeared in the new Hillpack den. No one challenged or questioned him, it was good to have the family together again. The young wolf was sullen and quiet spending most of his time with his littermates. Clawtail still limped, but his face lit up when he saw his brother.

The Mountainpack wolfpeople had moved a short way off; too proud to stay with the Hillpack, too frightened to move far away from the large group.

Over the summer, the pack took turns visiting the Burrow and meeting its occupants. Occasionally, other members of different packs joined them, curious to see the bustling den full of people. Much to Hermione and Ginny's delight, the wolfpeople failed to pronounce Fleur's real name and just called her "Phlegm". Her vila ancestry apparently had no effect over the male wolfpeople either, one of who inquired why she smeared colored dirt on her face.

"Eet eez make-up, not dirt!" Fleur replied hotly.

Robinfur carefully watched her young as they romped in the vegetable patch. After Molly Weasley had showed her that the plants the pups were trampling could be used to make food, Robinfur spent most of her time dragging pups off cabbages and pulling them out of tomato vines. The pups, meanwhile, had the time of their lives chasing gnomes, so Mrs. Weasley quickly forgave their previous escapades.

Unfortunately, Ron had told the four pups all about Diagon Alley.

"We want to go, we want to go, we want to go!" The four chorused as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny piled into the ministry car. The pups were incorrigible, even trying to jump into the car. Robinfur looked care worn and exhausted as she hauled one out, failing to see another pup crawl back in.

"Who wants birthday cake covered gnome?" Bonefang called from the Burrow's yard. The four pups squealed and tumbled out of the car to mob Bonefang. Harry slammed the car door and checked for any hide-aways as the driver pulled away.

"Birthday cake covered gnomes?" Ron asked, wiggled his orange eyebrows up and down in a manner so ridiculous that everyone in the back seat laughed.

"Nice pets," the driver said to Mr. Weasley, "some kind of talking charm on them?"

"Er, um, yes. Quite a lot of work, but it finally came through. Yes, a talking charm." Mr. Weasley said unconvincingly, but the driver was too busy to notice. Or he was just plain stupid, because few people would have mistaken the lean and hungry wolves for anything that could be called a pet.

Unfortunately, when the party returned from Diagon Alley, the pups assumed that Arnold the pygmy puff was a new toy. Robinfur soundly scolded them and took them back to the forest, leaving a distraught Ginny cuddling Arnold. The pygmy puff was emitting low, frightened squeaks, but was otherwise unharmed.

Fall came and went with a swirl of color and leaves. The forest was cold, but mercifully protected from wind and rain by the towering trees. Frostfur, Bonefang, Clawtail, Fleetfoot, Watertail, and Moonpaw took turns digging a new den. Winter was coming, and the pack needed shelter.

When at last they had dug a dark cave with the roots of a tree as a roof, the first frost had hit. Everyone in the pack brought in as much food as they could before the prey began hibernating.

Hogwarts was once again busy with activity, and throughout the day students were visible scurrying to and from the greenhouses, Hagrid's hut, and the castle. Moonpaw, Frostfur, and Longtooth saw the students up close only once. They had tracked a nogtail to the edge of the forest and barely halted in time to hide from the Care of Magical Creature's class.

Frostfur, with her long, insulated coat was curious why the student's faces were pink and raw. She couldn't grasp why they looked so miserable until Longtooth pointed out that their robes couldn't possibly be that warm.

As it was, Frostfur thoroughly loved the snow. During the first snowfall in early October, she romped outside rolling over and over in the snow. If she wanted, she could make herself nearly invisible in the stuff, except for her piercing blue eyes.

That was why Moonpaw sent her to tail Harry, Hermione, and Ron when hordes of students began visiting Hogsmede one October weekend. Frostfur tailed them easily, with the sleet coming down so hard she could stand within a foot of someone and not have them notice.

She had to be careful when the trio actually entered the village, the streets however were not crowded and she was able to follow them easily. When the three entered a bright, wonderful smelling place Frostfur waited across the street. The building next to her was cold, empty, and boarded up.

Frostfur watched with interest as wizards and witches hurried back and forth, never stopping for long in a huddle before moving on. Humans, she thought, needed to get thicker pelts. This weather was amazing.

Finally Harry and his friends exited the smell shop and Frostfur followed them closely, confidant that in the driving winds no one would notice her pure white fur. Two men were a little ahead of them, standing just outside a loud building filled with laughing patrons. One was a very tall and thin man, squinting through rain-washed glasses. Frostfur could have sworn that she recognized the short, dirty little man from somewhere.

"Mundungus!" Harry yelled. Frostfur realized that the snow was blocking her sense of smell, she normally would have recognized the reek of the thieving member of the Order. Mundungus jumped in surprise and dropped an ancient suitcase, which burst open spilling what looked like a great deal of junk.

"Oh, 'ello, 'arry" said Mundungus with a most unconvincing stab at airiness. "Well, don't let me keep ya." And he began scrabbling on the ground to retrieve the contents of his suitcase with every appearance of a man eager to be gone.

"Are you selling this stuff?" asked Harry, he too was watching Mundungus grabbing an assortment of grubby-looking objects from the snow.

"Oh, well, gotta scrape a living," said Mundungus. "Gimme that!" Ron had stooped to pick up something that shone like silver moonbeams.

"Hang on," Ron said slowly, "This looks familiar –"

"Thank you!" said Mundungus, snatching the goblet out of Ron's hand and stuffing it back into the case. "Well, I'll see you all – OUCH!" Harry had pinned Mundungus against the wall just like a wolf might defend its territory from another. That goblet came from Grimmauld place, Frostfur was sure.

She bounded through the snow, mercifully finding Tonks quickly. Without explaining she dragged Tonks through Hogsmede to where Harry was now attempting to strangle Mundungus.

Tonks shot a spell at Mundungus that caused Harry to release him immediately. The sneak thief disapperated with a loud crack. Harry started yelling.

"COME BACK YOU THIEVING -- !"

"There's no point, Harry." Tonks rebuked him kindly. "Mundungus will probably be in London by now. There's no point yelling."

"He's nicked Sirius's stuff! Nicked it!"

"Yes, but still," said Tonks rather unemotionally, "you should get out of the cold." The three students turned reproachfully and slumped into the loud place. Frostfur took her post outside with a nod to Tonks. The usually vivacious witch smiled in a strained, preoccupied way and turned to vanish into the snow.

At long last, Frostfur was beginning to understand what cold felt like to humans, the three emerged from the loud place all bundled up. She snickered to herself, they looked like huge versions of Arnold the pygmy puff, all padded up like that.

She followed them uphill through the frozen slush. Somewhere ahead, two girls were arguing. Frostfur heard paper ripping as she ran around the corner, nearly bowling Hermione over. They didn't notice her, however, they were watching as a girl flew, suspended in midair. Something was very wrong with this eerie scene.

Two wolf lengths above the ground the girl opened her eyes and screamed. She was in obvious agony. Another girl ran forward and attempted to pull her down, Harry Ron ran forward to help her as the screaming girl collapsed. They were forced to lower her into the snow were she continued to thrash wildly.

"Stay there!" Harry yelled, "I'm going for help!" He began to sprint towards the castle. Frostfur was torn, should she stay with the ill girl, of go after Harry? Her orders had been clear:

"_Stay with Harry, Frost," Moonpaw ordered coolly, "if they split up, stay with Harry. Don't leave him alone unless you are forced."_

Frostfur leaped after the vanishing figure of Harry. She saw as he collided headlong with Hagrid and go flying into the hedge. Frostfur started forward to drag him out, but Harry emerged with twig tangled in his hair.

"Hagrid!" he gasped, desperately, "Hagrid, someone's hurt back there, or cursed, or something –"

"Wha'? Cursed? Who's bin cursed – not Ron? Hermione?"

"No, it's not them, its Katie Bell – this way…" Frostfur dived out of the road as Harry ran down the lane with Hagrid right behind him. A small group of humans had gathered around the sick girl, who was still writhing and screaming.

"Get back!" shouted Hagrid. "Lemme see her!"

"Something's happened to her!" sobbed the girl who had been walking with the screaming girl before. "I don't know what –" Hagrid stared at the screaming girl for a moment, then, without a word, bent down, scooped her up in his arms and ran off towards the castle. It took a minute for them to get far enough away that Frostfur's keen wolf ears could no longer hear he screams.

Something was lying in the snow. For Frostfur to get through it she would have had to go through the crowd, something she most definitely was not willing to do. Ron reached down towards it, but Harry seized his arm and pulled him back.

"Don't touch it!" Harry hissed. He covered the thing with his scarf and carefully covered the necklace and picked it up. "We need it to show Madam Pomfrey," he announced. Frostfur followed, too far away to hear their conversation.

At last Professor McGonagall was visible, hurrying down the stone steps to meet the student. Frostfur stopped; she only had to follow them until they were safe. Actually, she was supposed to only follow them to the gate, but she deemed it more prudent.

The door opened and snow whirled into the huge room beyond. Before closing the door, McGonagall turned back to the snow. She seemed to search for a moment and then looked Frostfur in the eye.

"Thank you, Frost," she said softly as she turned back into the castle.

Although Mrs. Weasley extended an invitation, Moonpaw graciously declined to visit the Weasleys over the Christmas holidays. The memory of her first and last Christmas was too sharp to repeat. Christmas and New Year's came and went with little to no variation than a regular day. The human holidays were not and had never been a part of the wolfpeople's world.

Bonefang, however, returned with an interesting report during the holidays; he had seen Dumbledore and Professor Snape fighting.

"They were walking by the forest, and at first I though they might be looking for us," Bonefang explained breathlessly, "so I went closer and I heard them arguing. I saw Hagrid, too. But he was probably just doing his gamekeeper duties. Anyway, Severus told Dumbledore that he took too much for granted. Then Dumbledore was pretty firm, told Severus that he had agreed to do it. That was all I heard."

Bonefang ate some snow, the nearby creek had frozen over almost a moon ago. Moonpaw thought for a moment then answered.

"If Dumbledore knows, then I don't see how this would affect us. I think we had better forget about this, don't tell any of the pack."

At last the holidays were over and the students had returned to the castle. One wintry morning Sunrunner and Longtooth raced into the den snickering.

"It's amazing!" Sunrunner gasped, " ' Ginny Weasley flew into him, I think it was probably on purpose'."

"What?" Deerback cuffed her sleepily, "What is this gibberish?"

"There's a big voice coming from the human's field," Longtooth laughed, "it says the funniest things: 'I can't remember his name, it's something like Bibble – no, Biggins –'."

"It's Cadwallader!" Sunrunner finished and they burst into barking laughs. Deerback shook his head despairingly, pups. Down by the human field, or Quidditch pitch, the younger members of the Hillpack and Mountainpack had gathered to listen to the big voice.

"… that's Zacharias Smith, he was quite rude about Gryffindor in the last match, oh look, he's lost the Quaffle, Ginny took it from him, I do like her, she's very nice. Smith can't seem to hold the Quaffle, maybe he's suffering from Loser's Lurgy. Better stay away, it's contagious but only on the first Wednesday of the month…"

"Seventy-forty to Hufflepuff!" a new voice yelled briskly.

"Is, it already?" the dreamy voice answered in surprise, "Oh, what an interesting cloud formation. Look, up there, it looks like a crumple-horned snorkak doesn't it? My father writes about those…" The audience of wolfpeople all howled in amusement, the sound of their merriment drowned out by the crowd's groans.

Winter's grasp had loosened its hold on the grounds, and spring burst in riot. Prey returned, hungry and careless after a foodless winter. The pack's all brought in large catches, taking some back to those at home. Except the Mountainpack wolves.

"Night had made it pretty clear we're not welcome anymore," Haresdeath told Moonpaw, "we tried to give them a wild boar, took ages to kill it, but he chased us off. Wouldn't even take the boar to the old ones and pups." Moonpaw shook her head worriedly, Nightfur was too proud to accept the offering from his former pack mates. Running them off his territory, their territory, was symbolic of disownment.

"You may stay in our den, Hare. We would gladly adopt you as members of Hillpack."

"No, I thank you," Haresdeath responded sadly, "There are five of us now and we get along. It's just that we miss our family."

That evening Clawtail ran up to the den. "Where's Moonpaw?" he panted.

"Out hunting, why?" Treepad asked curiously. "Ow! You little rascal, come back here!" One of Robinfur's pups, which were now almost half her size, had nipped Treepad on the ear and scampered away.

"I need to find her!"

"You'll have to wait then. She's taking the Stonestellar his meal and catching some food for us, so she'll be a while," Watertail said calmly. Clawtail grumbled, but there really was almost no hope of finding Moonpaw in the dense forest when she sometimes ranged miles in a hunt.

The sun had set hours ago as Moonpaw returned with Fleetfoot and Sunrunner. She placed a large, wild goose in front of Treepad and Goldensnout. Clawtail bounded up to her eagerly.

"You'll wait your turn, Claw," she growled playfully, misinterpreting his approach.

"No, Moon, it's Dumbledore!"

"What?"

"Dumbledore took Harry around sunset out of the grounds. They haven't come back since!" Clawtail told her hurriedly.

"Well, if Harry is with Dumbledore, then I'm sure they are fine." Moonpaw was calm and quiet, still pondering Nightfur's behavior. Suddenly, Bonefang ran up, nearly knocking Watertail over.

"Moon, it's the Dark Mark! Over Hogwarts, it's the evil sign!" The pack was dead silent.

Then:

"Robin, Deer, Tree, Golden, get the pups inside now. Barricade the entrance with leaves or branches; anything to hide it. Fleet, Claw, and Water stay here, patrol the surrounding forest. Sun and Long, go to every pack you can find, ask to speak with their Alpha if present. Tell them what's going on. Frost and Bone, I can't ask you to come with me…"

"I feel disobedient, don't you Frost?" Bonefang interrupted with a grin. Moonpaw rolled her eyes and took his hand laying a hand of Frostfur's back. Nonexistence and then…

BANG! Jets of colored lights were everywhere, they were in the castle the walls bearing down on them. And ahead dueled wizards, members of the Order and Death Eaters. And children, there were students too. Moonpaw leaped onto the back of a Death Eater who was attempting to jinx Neville.

She stood panting for a moment. "Are you all right?" she asked. Neville nodded fearfully. Then a few Death Eaters broke off the fight and fled up a staircase. With a cry, Neville lunged forward to follow them. "No!" Moonpaw yelled, but it was too late, Neville was blown backwards by some invisible barrier that blocked the staircase off.

"Frost! Bone!" Moonpaw screamed desperately searing the crowd. Her pack mates were attempting to distract a large hideous man who reeked of old blood. The werewolf Fenrir Greyback who was attempting to savage Bill Weasley. However, when he saw Neville getting thrown through the air, he too turned to race up the stairs.

"Get the pups out!" Moonpaw ordered them fiercely, slipping into the wolfpeople's term for children, "and any wounded you can find!" But it was too difficult, far too difficult. They were hard pressed to defend themselves against the Death Eaters. One blonde one was firing spells everywhere, but only into the air or at any people. He didn't see what hit him.

Slam! Bonefang and Moonpaw knocked him off his feet, his head giving a resounding crack against the stone wall. He took one look at the curved fangs inches from his eye and fainted.

And at last help arrived, Severus ran through the midst of the fight. He charged up the staircase and Bonefang attempted to follow. But whatever had allowed Snape to pass did not allow Bonefang. He flew, twisting through the air away from the door. Moonpaw and Frostfur ran to him, he was alive, but the wind was knocked out of him. No one tried to stop the two as they dragged him along the corridor out of the way.

By the time they had returned, the blonde Death Eater was up again firing curses with rapidly deteriorating aim. Part of the roof fell in and Moonpaw realized with horror that the Death Eaters had returned.

"It's over!" someone yelled, and the Death Eaters began disengaging themselves from the battle. Oh, no, Moonpaw thought grimly, never think you can outrun the pack when it's hunting.

"Auroooooooo-oooo-ooooooooo!" Her howl echoed along the hall, reverberated in the room, and blasted from the staircase and the windows. It was the hunting call. If the wolfpeople in the forest heard it and heeded it, the Death Eaters would have a nasty surprise on the lawn.

She and Frostfur bounded downstairs, leaving the members of the Order behind quickly. They were forced to follow the scent, as they did not know the castle. It was fairly easy, bloody sneaker prints led the way. Down and down and down until at last they exploded from the castle onto the grounds.

Death Eaters were in the distance ahead. Running from the woods, as silent and fast as wraiths came the wolfpeople. They skimmed over the grass and launched themselves with fearless bravery on the retreating Death Eaters.

Far ahead, Severus was running with a blonde student. Trying to reach safety? The wolfpeople had turned on them, and Severus was firing curses into their midst. Perhaps in the dark night, he could not see his pursuers.

Hagrid's hut was aflame, lit up like an enormous bonfire. Two Death Eaters, both rather short and ugly, were running between Moonpaw and the hut. Moonpaw launched herself across the grass with Frost fur at her side and they chased the Death Eaters.

"Aur-aur-oo!" This shorter hunting call meant she was closing in, to pull tighter and cut off the prey's escape route. The wolfpeople obeyed automatically, swerving back to surround the two Death Eaters.

"Impedimenta!" one of the Death Eaters wheezed and a young Moorpack wolf was blasted out of his way. The female screamed, Haresdeath had clamped his jaws stubbornly down on her ankle.

"Get 'em off, Amycus! Get 'em off me!" she shrieked.

"Diffindo!" The male yelled pointing his wand at Haresdeath. The female wailed, he had accidentally cut her leg. But Haresdeath dropped off, the end of the spell had slashed his muzzle open. The male raised his wand to give a final blow, but Hazeleye sunk his teeth deep in his ear. "Protego! Protego! Blast it, PROTEGO!" The wizard yelled. But the shield charm only pushed Hazeleye away, and, while the wolf was hanging on to his ear, it was excruciating. The wolfpeople began to close around them, growling.

"Stupefy, stupefy, stupefy!" A huge Death Eater blasted Hazeleye from the male's ear and knocked over the two wolves snapping at the female's ankles. The wolfpeople chased them up past the flaming hut. They were on the Death Eaters as they fled through the gate. But the hunters' jaws clamped on empty air as the hunted disapperated.

Fenrir's attack left its mark on Bill; Madam Pomfrey was unable to do anything to magically heal them. Luckily, or mostly due to Bonefang and Frostfur's distraction, he had not received fatal wounds. Neville and Bonefang had their own beds, both under a charmed sleep Madam Pomfrey had cast promising that they would fully recover. The doors opened and Ginny led Harry in. Hermione ran to hug him and Lupin walked forward.

"Are you all right, Harry?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine… how's Bill?" Nobody answered. Harry looked over Hermione's shoulder and looked at Bill's ravaged face. "Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" he asked the healer.

"No charm will work on these," said Madam Pomfrey. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."

"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into his brother's face as though he could somehow force him to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a – a real-- ?"

"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," Lupin said comfortingly. "But that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and – and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on." Everyone turned to look at the other side of the ward where many wolfpeople had been brought in for healing.

Madam Pomfrey had sent most on their way with the help of Lupin and Tonks. Mostly they just needed to be released from common jinxes and hexes. Only Bonefang remained, with Moonpaw and Frostfur keeping vigil. And Haresdeath also, who was sipping a potion Madam Pomfrey had given him to prevent infection.

"Don't look at us," Moonpaw growled angrily, "it was because of Frost and Bone that Bill is still alive. We are no relatives of werewolves. They are cursed humans forced to resume a wolf-like appearance, we are born shape-shifters."

"Where's Dumbledore, Harry? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state –" Ron fumed in the awkward silence.

"Ron – Dumbledore's dead," said Ginny.

"No!" Lupin looked wildly at Ginny and then Harry. When neither recalled the sentence he collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face.

"How did he die?" whispered Tonks. "How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the astronomy tower because that's where the Mark was… Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps funning up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the invisibility cloak – and then Malfoy came through the door and Disarmed him –" Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth, and Ron groaned. Luna's mouth trembled. "—more Death Eaters arrived – and then Snape – and Snape did it. The Avada Kedava."

Then, somewhere in the darkness, a phoenix was singing a stricken lament of terrible beauty. The music felt as though it was inside Moonpaw, her own grief turned into song. When the song ended Frostfur spoke silently.

"A death song." Everyone accept Moonpaw and Haresdeath turned to stare. Moonpaw nodded sagely. "A death song is sung by the pack of a fallen warrior. I didn't know other species did it, too…"

Then Professor McGonagall had to be told when she too arrived in the hospital wing. As time wore on, Moonpaw felt more and more uneasy. She glanced to Frostfur, who was silently crying. She reached out and took her half-sister's hand. Then she laid a hand against Bonefang's dusty brown, blood spattered robes. She nodded the Haresdeath, who quietly reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. When the wizards turned to look, the wolfpeople had vanished.

Hillpack slipped into a silent, still mourning. They were devastated at Moonpaw's news of Dumbledore's death. Only occasionally would the silence be broken by someone asking if they were going home. Home, return to their birth grounds. It was only when Robinfur's pups began to whine in hunger that Moonpaw sent Fleetfoot and Watertail out to get food.

Nightfur found Moonpaw lying outside the den she had helped build. He looked at her sourly for a few moments.

"I suppose that you're happy now?" he asked scathingly, "proud to have joined the noble fight?" Moonpaw shifted her head to gaze steadily at him.

"What do you want Night? I have every right to run you off my territory." Nightfur sneered at her condescendingly.

"Look at you, too weak to stand. Grieving for your lost wizard pet, are you? Wishing you had run him off when you had the chance –"

"No," Moonpaw replied firmly. She stood on her paws, wobbling slightly but glaring ferociously at the black wolf. "I did what I thought was right, and there is no shame in that. Dumbledore did what he thought was right. Even you do what you think is right. Now, go away. I haven't eaten in three days, but I may just eat you…"

Nightfur did not retreat, however. He continued to stare and the bedraggled wolf before him. "Thank you," he finally said.

"For what?"

"For Haresdeath. You accepted him… and took him with you from the wizard place. Treated him like family. You see," Nightfur explained softly, "he's my brother. When I drove him out like a stranger, you took him in and offered a home. He admires you greatly." Moonpaw gaped at this tender side of Nightfur that she had never seen. "You're right though, I will do what I believe is best for my pack. And that still doesn't include serving wizards." With that he dissolved into a whirlwind of black dust.

It was a glorious summer day. Down on the banks of the lake chairs had been set up and people were beginning to fill them. A few members of the Order of the Phoenix, Madame Maxime, Tom of the Leaky Cauldron, Mrs. Figg, Ernie the driver of the Knight Bus, Madam Malkin of the robe shop, and the barman of the Hog's Head pub. Even the castle ghosts, just visible in the bright June sunlight, had turned out.

Then the doors of the castle opened and the heads of houses, with a large walrus-like man leading Slytherin house, led the students to the chairs. The minister of magic was there, also as well as the toady women from the year previously. Firenze the centaur stood near the water's edge, where a choir of merpeople was singing below the placid waters.

Then Hagrid carried Dumbledore's body up to the gleaming white altar. He placed it there and then blew his nose loudly. He then retreated to the back row where the giant Grawp was sitting. The centaurs had also come to pay their respects. They did not move into the open but stood quite still, half-hidden in the shadows their bows hanging at their sides.

Bright, white flames had erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table upon which it lay: higher and higher they rose, obscuring the body. White smoke spiraled into the air, but the next second the fire had vanished. In its place was a white marble tomb, encasing Dumbledore's body and the table on which he had rested.

People cried in shock as a shower of arrows soared through the air. It was the centaur's tribute; the herd turned and disappeared into the trees. Likewise the merpeople sank slowly into the green water and were lost from view.

An eerie howl pierced the air. It was the sound a heart might make when broken, the sound a soul might make as it died. More and more voices joined the first; the wolfpeople came to say their last respects, too. However, they had stayed far back out of sight and most people at the funeral where awed by this mysterious event. A few (members of the order and some students) shook their heads and listened to the sound of pure sorrow: the death song of the wolves.

Although Fleur had been slightly haughty toward the wolfpeople, she finally consented to send them a wedding invitation after Bill had explained Bonefang and Frostfur's role in the battle. She was still upset by the comments of Phlegm and the colored dirt.

The wedding invitation was white and frilly, very beautiful. Moonpaw had given it to Robinfur when she saw how much the young mother enjoyed looking at it. But there was simply no possibility of any of the wolfpeople going. They were too conspicuous.

She arrived at the Burrow to see a flurry of activity in and around the house. The twins were pulling weeds out from the vegetable patch, more often than not with a gnome clinging to its roots.

"What happened to you ear?" Moonpaw asked one of them curiously.

"Snape, the slimy git." George answered grimly. Fred hit him over the head with a giant dandelion.

"Come on, George," he scolded cheekily, "or else…"

"Mum will give us an earful!" George finished. "Hey, do you think you could bring those kids back? We're supposed to get rid of these…"

"…walking potatoes," Fred finished. "So, how 'bout it? Can you lend us the magnificent hunters?" After Moonpaw promised to bring Robinfur's pups back to clear the yard of gnomes, the twins directed her inside. Ginny was on the front steps color matching favors with an almost vengeful attitude.

"What did the tool ever do to you?" Moonpaw inquired. Ginny looked up and grinned.

"Nothing, it's just Mum. You looking for Fleur?" Then she, too, directed Moonpaw inside. Mrs. Weasley dominated the kitchen.

"Hermione, that's lovely. Could you throw together a dozen more cream puffs? There's a good girl. Ronald! How many times do I have to tell you? Scrub, rinse, and then dry right away, or else it will tarnish! Oh, hello Moon dear." Ron rolled his eyes at Moonpaw from behind his mother's back, up to his elbows in soapy water. Hermione was seated in front of at least a hundred delicate sugar swans that covered the kitchen table.

"Come to stay for dinner?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she waved her wand towards a knife, which leapt up and started chopping brussel sprouts.

"No, thanks Molly. Is Phl… phle… Bill's fiancé around?"

"Oh, um, yes. Try the third floor, second door on the right. I think she is in the Delacours' room. Ronald! Will you please dry the silver after you wash it?!" Moonpaw escaped upstairs. Sure enough, Fleur was gliding through a room on the third floor, plumping pillows and straightening flower vases. She smiled breath-takingly at Moonpaw.

"'ello, Moon. Could you 'elp me wiz zis lamp? I do not zink eet goez 'ere very well." As Moonpaw helped Fleur to move the lamp from one corner of the room to another, she explained about the wedding. When they finally put the lamp down and Fleur carefully adjusted it a centimeter to the left, she sighed.

"Bill zought zat might 'appen. Your zizter eez ezpecially, notizible. Not zat she eezn't lovely, but 'er 'air… Well, you must come to 'arry'z birzday at leazt. Did you like ze invitation? Molly and I worked zo 'ard to dizign eet."

"It was beautiful, I've never seen so much, um, lace." Fleur beamed at Moonpaw.

After some discussion, it was finally decided that Moonpaw, Frostfur, and Bonefang as Harry's friends among the wolfpeople would attend the party. They would also be taking Sunshadow and Larchpaw, two of Robinfur's litter.

Unlike the other guests at the party, the wolfpeople were able to appear right in the Burrow's garden. Four tables stood end-to-end and purple lanterns floated above them. Hagrid was already there, and Moonpaw could scent Lupin and Tonks begin escorted from the road by Fred and George. Sunshadow and Larchpaw scrambled joyfully into the garden.

"Happy birthday, Harry!" Frostfur called to Harry who grinned and waved. A giant, golden ball-shaped cake served as the centerpiece of the party and Bonefang gave an audible groan. Ron and Hermione, who were standing nearby, turned to look at him.

"Birthday cake covered gnomes," Bonefang recounted sheepishly. Ron and Hermione fell about laughing.

"Easy for you to laugh," Moonpaw scolded them, although she too smiled, "you didn't have to stick around to watch that."

"I think we'd better start without Arthur," Mrs. Weasley called to the garden at large. "He must have been help up at – oh!" They all saw it at the same time: a streak of light that came flying across the yard and on to the table, where it resolved itself into a bright silver weasel, which stood on its hind legs and spoke with Mr. Weasley's voice.

"Minister for Magic coming with me." The Patronus dissolved into thin air.

"We shouldn't be here," said Lupin at once. "Harry – I'm sorry – I'll explain another time—" He seized Tonk's wrist and pulled her away; they reached the fence, climbed over it and vanished from sight. Mrs. Weasley looked bewildered.

"The Minister – but why --? I don't understand –" With a rush of wind the wolfpeople present transformed into wolf form and raced to the vegetable garden, out of sight. Except Moonpaw. With her slightly curled fur, she could pretend to be well, not so much a dog as a wolf hound. Then Mr. Weasley appeared out of thin air at the gate, accompanied by Rufus Scrimgeour.

"Sorry to intrude," said the lion-like minister as he limped to a halt before the table. "Especially as I can see that I am gatecrashing a party." His eyes lingered for a moment on the giant snitch cake. "Many happy returns."

"Thanks," said Harry.

"I require a private word with you," Scrimgeour told Harry. "Also with Mr. Ronald Weasley and Ms. Hermione Grangers."

"Us?" said Ron, sounding surprised. "Why us?"

"I shall tell you when we are somewhere more private," said Scrimgeour. "Is there such a place?" he asked Mr. Weasley.

"Yes, of course," said Mr. Weasley, who looked nervous. "The, er, sitting room, why don't you use that?"

"You can lead the way," Scrimgeour told Ron. "There will be no need for you to accompany us, Arthur." As Ron, Harry and Hermione stood up, Moonpaw nudged her way under Hermione's hand. Scrimgeour looked at her, then back towards Ron expectantly. He seemed to believe that the vicious looking wolf was Hermione's pet.

Scrimgeour did not speak as they all passed through the messy kitchen and into the Burrow's sitting room. Although the garden had been full of soft, golden evening light, it was already dark in here: Moonpaw saw Harry flick his wand and the lamps illuminated the shabby but cozy room. Scrimgeour sat himself in a sagging armchair leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione to squeeze side by side on the sofa. Moonpaw flopped across their feet.

Moonpaw watched Scrimgeour carefully. She did not understand what he was talking about, but she certainly understood that he was getting more upset over time. He kept producing strange little objects from a pouch around his neck and giving them to the three. At one point, Moonpaw stiffened as she felt a welling tension behind her. Scrimgeour had just pulled out a shining golden ball, and Harry reached out to take it from him. Then the tension broke somewhat.

"You go too far!" Scrimgeour suddenly shouted, standing up; Harry jumped to his feet too. Scrimgeour limped towards Harry and jabbed him hard in the chest with the point of his wand: it singed a hole in Harry's T-shirt like a lit cigarette.

This was what Moonpaw had been anticipating. She jumped up growling menacingly at the angry minister. Moonpaw began barking madly, trying to get someone to come, some wizard to deal with Scrimgeour. She could have pulled him away from Harry, but she wasn't sure that the minister would hesitate to attack her.

The floor trembled; there was the sound of running footsteps, then the door to the sitting room burst open and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley ran in.

"We – we thought we heard –" began Mr. Weasley, looking thoroughly alarmed at the sight of Harry and the minister virtually nose to nose.

"—raised voices," panted Mrs. Weasley glancing down at Moonpaw. Bonefang, in his human form, was just visible beyond the doorway. He had heard his Alpha's barks and sent the Weasleys in.

"Nightfur," Moonpaw called softly into the hollow where the Mountainpack scent was strongest. "Nightfur, I must speak with you."

"Well, finally decided I was right all along?" The black wolf was nearly invisible without the light of the moon.

"No, you need to move the rest of your pack out, quickly," Moonpaw urged, "the evil is on the move."

"I don't…"

"Listen to me!" Moonpaw pleaded, "deaths, disappearances all summer long. One of Dumbledore's friends turned to the evil side. He knew about us, Night. About the wolfpeople, about our packs, everything! You need to get them out of here; the forest we live in is surrounded by protective enchantments."

"How much time?" Nightfur asked briskly. He was a good leader, for all his aggression and he would not put his pack in danger.

"Wake them now." Nightfur nodded and trotted back into the hollow. "I'm going to find the Stonestellar," Moonpaw called after him. She chose to magically travel rather than take the traditional run.

The river rushed past the rock pile where the Stonestellar lived, dark and swift. The trees of the forest creaked and groaned as though slowly dying. Moonpaw was shocked to see lights just beyond the trees; the human had moved quickly into Riverpack's territory.

"No," the Stonestellar refused adamantly once Moonpaw had explained the situation. "I told you once before, it is my destiny to die here. It is my duty as the Stonestellar to obey my destiny." Moonpaw tried again and again but no amount of pleading, persuading, or even threats would move the ancient wolf. She was forced to leave without him.

As she vanished back to the Forbidden Forest, Moonpaw saw the old wolf turn and limp back into the rocky den.

The school session had just begun, and Minerva McGonagall was already tired of the new Headmaster. She was sitting in her office eating a biscuit while she read over the reports of misbehaving Gryffindors. Ms. Weasley and Mr. Longbottum of course, couldn't they stay out of detention one night?

"Professor," McGonagall looked up startled. Moonpaw had emerged on the other side of her desk. It was dark and shadowed in the room, but McGonagall could see the black circles under her eyes and the hollowed cups of her cheeks.

"Moon, what happened?" She asked, standing up her tartan dressing gown hanging about her. She had been going to bed soon.

"May I ask a favor?" Moonpaw was speaking carefully, almost as though this was the first time she had spoken in a while but each word was of the utmost importance. McGonagall nodded sharply. "Could you, or any other member of the order, possibly help me with something? At one of our dens?"

"Of course I'd be glad to help, if it is within my power." Dumbledore had always been willing to reach out to this strange, shy race of beings. "Just one moment… there." She flicked her wand over her dressing gown turning it into a decenter set of emerald robes.

Moonpaw looked at her with grieved, dead eyes extending a grey-clad arm. McGonagall touched the proffered arm lightly. It was unnerving. To fade into nonexistence, lost in a haze between myth and reality. Suddenly, the transfiguration teacher felt a firm connection to herself, her identity. She blinked as she realized she stood on the banks of a river. So that was how the wolfpeople traveled. Fascinating.

Moonpaw had dropped her arm away and was watching McGonagall examine her new surroundings. "This way," she finally prompted, pointing up a pebbly slope. At the peak, a rock pile tumbled into the sky carving a dark hole in the starry horizon.

Once she had scaled the hill, McGonagall clearly saw the four dejected wolfpeople sitting around the rocks. There was a black furred wolf she had not seen before, but Hazeleye gave her a curt nod. She had met him as well as Gorsetail and Gravelbark when Moonpaw had brought them to headquarters.

"What seems to be the difficulty?" McGonagall asked briskly as none of the Alphas moved to speak with her. She looked at Moonpaw who jerked her head towards a dark cave set in the rocks. Squaring her shoulder, McGonagall marched purposefully into the darkness.

On the dirt floor of the cave, an old and decrepit man lay peacefully, as though merely sleeping. A portion of the roof was missing, and soft starlight illuminated his face. He was clearly dead.

"What happened, Moon?" The young woman had followed her inside. "Was it old age?"

"No, we believe that the evil tortured him until he died." McGonagall looked up, thoroughly shocked. "Most likely trying to find our whereabouts. You see, we moved the last of the wolfpeople into the Forbidden Forest. The Stonestellar refused to go; said it was his destiny to die here."

"Moon, I'm sorry, but no magic can awaken the dead," McGonagall finally said gently.

"I know. But he was the last Stonestellar. The wolfpeople will not return here, to our birth grounds. We would like to bury him here, in the cave of our ancestors." Moonpaw explained solemnly.

McGonagall followed her outside, turning one last time to look at the old man on the floor. He looked so peaceful; perhaps when Voldemort had started the cruciates curse his victim had been too old and simply chosen to die. Outside, McGonagall carefully levitated a large stone to rest before the entrance to the cave.

Overhead, Gravelbark was rolling a rock along the roof of the cavern. He pushed it until it gave a soft _thunk_ as it settled into the sky opening, sealing off the stars.

Molly Weasley was dicing tomatoes in the kitchen while supervising the laundry that was doing itself nearby. Moonpaw sat at the table studying the grain patterns of the wood.

"Molly?"

"Hmm?"

"Where are Harry, Ron, and Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley turned to stare at Moonpaw, her mouth open. The knife ceased cutting the tomatoes and hung uncertainly in midair.

"Moon, haven't you been reading the daily prophet?"

"I can't read," Moonpaw said quietly. Mrs. Weasley started, astonishment crossing her face. Moonpaw saw and added defensively, "It isn't important to the wolfpeople."

"Of, of course it isn't." Molly had composed her face and smiled kindly at her. "It really should have occurred to me before."

"Starfur used to say that's how the ministry used the laws against us," Moonpaw began quietly tracing a knot of wood in the table. "They made laws restricting the wolfpeople, denying us magic and legal rights. We're not even allowed to handle wizarding money. Then the ministry lied to the Stonestellar at the time, and helped him to sign the form."

"Harry and the others have been away for a while, dear." Mrs. Weasley turned back toward the knife and ordered it to start on the carrots. "No one knows where they are. Well, Remus said they were at Grimmauld Place. They broke into the ministry a few weeks ago. Foolhardy." Molly stopped, wiping the tears that seeped treacherously from her eyes.

Moonpaw saw the need for a distraction. "You know, we're actually forbidden to hold a wand? Not even use or posses one. So of course, with no money and no wand it isn't like our children _can_ go to school."

"Yes, well, in these times; you almost want to keep family close," Mrs. Weasley sniffed.

"Mum?" George's voice called from the garden. "Mum you've got –"

"—to hear this!" Fred came tumbling into the kitchen after his twin.

"Don't you mean ear this?" George laughed walking over to the wireless.

"What's wrong? What are you two up to?" Mrs. Weasley put her hands on her hips and glared at her sons who both had identical smiles plastered on their faces.

"George, what was the password again?" Fred began tapping the radio with his wand.

"Um, wasn't it phoenix?" George mused. Suddenly the radio sparked to life, emitting only static at fist but finally forming itself into words.

"… [crackle] interested [crackle] deaths [cracklecracklecrackle] You-Know-Who"

"Fred, for crying out loud, can't you tune that thing? It's burning my remaining ear!"

"Sorry George… there!" At last, the radio wheezed into compliance and the static disappeared.

"… once again. I'm pleased to introduce a new regular on the show: Royal! He has joined us today after some Death Eaters took objection to his violation of the taboo on You-Know-Who's name." A new voice came over the line, Royal was a code name for Kingsley Shacklebolt the auror.

"Thank you, River. It is good to be appearing on Potterwatch today."

"We're glad you could join us, Royal. Now, for some news updates. It is with great pleasure that I can tell you Dirk Cresswell has managed to escape en route to Azkaban where he was to be held under the charge of being Muggle-born. Good luck, and well done Dirk, wherever you are now. Gringotts bank has been taken from the Goblins and is now using wizarding security. Let's see how long our money stays safe. Some Goblins have rebelled, indignant at being asked to perform 'duties ill-befitting the dignity of my race. I am not a house-elf'. More evidence of increasing unrest caused by You-Know-Who's infiltration of the ministry. Good night, and thanks for listening to Potterwatch. Tune in soon, next password is: Harry."

"What was that?" Molly asked breathlessly as Fred turned off the radio.

"Potterwatch, only good –" George began.

"—and accurate station now," Fred finished. "None of this rubbish the Daily prophet keeps putting out. The whole –"

"-- truth," George picked up, sinking into the couch. "Just like the _Quibbler_, God love Xeno Lovegood."

"Moon, what's wrong?" Fred asked concerned, noticing that she stood just outside the sitting room pointing at the now silent radio.

"H-h-how did the p-p-people get in the little b-b-box?"

Ferrin Selwyn was utterly, hopelessly lost. Ginny Weasley had assured her that detention in the Forbidden Forest was easy, that Hagrid would look after her and it would be the best detention she ever had. Now she was lost.

Ferrin struggled through a patch of particularly nasty brambles that snared and entangled her robes. She was afraid, but in control. The sorting hat had been right to put someone so brave into Gryffindor house. Protected by her pureblood status, she had been able to attend Hogwarts as a first-year this year. She had promptly gotten herself into all kinds of trouble after Ginny took her under her wing.

She was now, in fact, serving detention after she had smeared most of the school's owl with multicolored ink. Snape had not seemed to enjoy the effect very much, he had no artistic eye. Now Ferrin could only hope she was working her way back to Hogwarts.

She wasn't.

"Who goes there?" The voice in the darkness growled. Ferrin opened her mouth but a small squeak came out instead of words. She remembered stories of who lived in these woods, werewolves, giant spiders, wild centaurs.

"Leave her be, Night," This voice sounded kinder with just a hint of reprimand. "She's just a pup."

"Just a pup? Our pups know not to wander onto other's territory." The first voice answered grumpily. From the trees in front of Ferrin two wolves stalked out. There were both beautiful, one black as midnight and the other had an almost metallic tint in her fur. Intelligence shone from their eyes, making them look more human somehow.

"I – I got lost. I – is this the way to the castle? I'm a student there…" Ferrin pointed through the trees ahead. The black wolf gave her a disgusted sneer.

"Oh, she can speak." The black wolf snarled sarcastically. "Not very well though."

"I can speak just fine!"

"Watch yourself, Night," the grey wolf chuckled, "she's not intimidated by you. What's your name, pup?"

"Ferrin." She responded, more respectfully.

"How did you get all the way out here, Ferrin?"

"I got lost. I'm supposed to be with Hagrid, he's our gamekeeper…"

"We know Hagrid," the two wolves looked at each other. "Well, I'd best get you back, hadn't I?" The grey wolf stepped forward slowly, afraid to startle the first-year. The black wolf gave one more roll of his eyes, and melted into the shadows.

"How'd he do that?" Ferrin asked curiously, staring at the spot he had disappeared. "Vanish like that?"

"He's still there, and will be until we get off his territory. We're going to have company on the way back to the school, but you may not see them." Ferrin turned wondering eyes on the grey wolf.

"Who are you?" she asked timidly, afraid she might offend her strange guide.

"Call me Moon."

"Like the moon in the sky?"

"Exactly like the moon in the sky." They walked in silence for a while.

"How far did I go?" Ferrin asked sheepishly. She had been walking for a while before this, and in the wrong direction.

"Not far, probably traced out a crescent, that's all. Makes it seem farther." Silence. Ferrin noticed that while twigs crunched under her trainers, Moon's paws made no sound on the forest floor. At last, Ferrin slipped on some slushy snow, the trees had thinned out enough for the spring sunlight to melt the snow here. Not too far off, she could here voices calling.

"They're looking for you." Moon listened. "How long have you been lost?" Ferrin checked her watch.

"Oh, almost an hour," she blushed. She had hoped to slip back unnoticed. This would surely mean more detentions, and not very likely in the forest.

"Moon, is tha' yew?" Hagrid's huge form loomed ahead as he peered through the trees. Fang the boarhound whined at his side, and Ferrin glimpsed the other students sharing her detention behind him.

"Hagrid." Moon sat before him, protectively placing herself between Hagrid and Ferrin. "You should take better care of your litter."

"My litter? Oh, righ'. Much obliged, anyhow," Hagrid mumbled, shouldering his crossbow. Ginny peeked out from behind him grinning at Ferrin and Moon.

"Take care of yourself, little one," Moon stood on her hind legs and gave Ferrin's ear a swift lick. Then she turned and melted into the forest.

"Ye all righ' Ferrin? Not hurt, are ye?" Hagrid asked nervously and Ginny strode forward to give her a hug.

"Fine," Ferrin assured him with a grin. "How did you know Moon?"

"Oh, her," Hagrid looked uncomfortable, "she gets aroun' don't she? Hardly go inter the forest without seein' her. Great woman, Moon. Well respected among her own kind… Let's get yew lot back to the castle, eh?" Ferrin fell back with Ginny.

"Lucky Moon found you, isn't it?" Ginny grinned, her flaming red hair swinging down her back.

"How do_ you_ know Moon?" Ferrin asked impatiently.

"Oh. Well, like Hagrid says. She gets around."

The silver streak of light grew nearer, and nearer, and nearer. Any second… now! Fleetfoot snarled, launching himself upon his quarry.

"Fleet, no! You can't catch it like that!" Frostfur was yelling, but Fleetfoot had already discovered that as the silver cat hissed and he leaped through it. The cat spat at him and raced to a halt in front of Moonpaw. Fleetfoot rolled over and began spitting, rolling his tongue over his mouth to clear the strange taste. "It's a spell," Frostfur explained, cuffing him playfully over the ear.

The cat sat, curling its tail around its paws neatly. It looked directly at Moonpaw and said clearly, "Harry is at the castle. Voldemort is coming." Then the cat was blown apart and disappeared in the wind. Moonpaw stared at the spot where it had vanished.

"Fleet, go to Gorse. Claw, get Hazel. Long, can you find Gravel? Frost, find Night. Now. Get every fighter, understand. Everyone. Tell them it's started." The chosen wolves vanished with puffs of air, and Moonpaw chewed her lip. "No place safe, no place hidden," she murmured, eyeing those who could not fight. Disappearing in a whirl of grey ash, she appeared at McGonagall's side.

"What about my old ones? What about the pups?" She growled, shoving herself in front of the professor forcing her to stop. McGonagall clutched her tartan dressing gown around her and pointed her wand at the walls.

"Protego horribilis! Good lord, Moon, are you honestly telling me they can't travel as you do?"

"They've no place to go! They can't possibly return to our birth –"

"Voldemort's entire army is attacking the school, Moon. He's not going to worry about a few puppies in his way! Send them home!" With that, McGonagall ran along the corridor, casting protective spells all around the school.

"Tree!" The old wolf limped forward from the den. Moonpaw looked him over, he would have to do. Deerback and Goldensnout were far too old. "Get the pups and old ones to the mountains beyond our birth grounds. Keep them there, all of them." Tree nodded and began shepherding the frightened pups together.

"What about…?" Treepad licked his lips, looking over at his son and daughter who were preparing to fight.

"Tree, I'm trusting you with the safety of my pack. Swear by the stars, by the moon itself, you will keep them safe." Moonpaw flinched at the very words her father had told her as he lay dying. "Don't count on us coming back."

Moonpaw glanced up and down the line. Nightfur, with ten of his brethren, held the south. Gorsetail rallied her wolves beside him. Gravelbark stood as steady as a rock, his purposeful warriors flanking him in the center of the line. Hazeleye shifted nervously, he had brought the fewest of all the Alphas although he had taken every able-bodied fighter he could. Moonpaw herself held the north end.

They had left the forest, as McGonagall believed that the attackers would most likely come through the woods. Kingsley Shacklebolt paced up to Moonpaw calm but alert.

"Moon, I think it best if we intersperse our forces about the grounds." He said, looking with admiration down the line of aggressive wolfpeople. Moonpaw looked up, and nodded briefly.

"Take Forestpack and Moorpack, the rest of us will spread out, place your fighters between us."

"Excellent." Moonpaw stared after Kingsley, She had always admired him, but it was a great compliment to hear him say her hastily put together force was excellent. There was no time for compliments, a huge figure was running, knocking trees out of its way. Bonefang growled and tensed to pounce.

"No! It's Hagrid," Moonpaw cautioned as Grawp the giant stampede past carrying his brother and Fang the boarhound. Grawp threw Hagrid through one of the school windows and peered inside after him.

Then the world began to end.

Flashes of light followed Grawp out of the forest, and Death Eaters began to emerge from the trees, Moonpaw sent up a silent prayer that Treepad had gotten everyone out of the way of the advancing army. Giants loomed in front of the Death Eaters, using maple trees as clubs to clear a path.

"Hold!" Moonpaw commanded. Kingsley's fighter shot a round of jinxes into the enemy ranks, and a few fell. Many more countered. None seemed to have seen the wolfpeople, who crouched low to the ground, almost invisible.

"Now!" Moonpaw snarled. She advanced, her belly fur brushing the grass and Watertail kept pace with her nearly seven meters away. Frostfur crept forward slowly in the middle, and the Hillpack stretched into a horseshoe shape around the nearest giant.

"Watch out for its feet and its club!" Moonpaw cautioned as the giant swung its tree blindly. Clawtail rushed in and snapped at the giant's leg. The giant peered down stupidly at the brown wolf.

"WHA'? ARGH!" He roared as Bonefang leapt almost ten feet into the air and clawed his fat stomach. The giant dropped his club and began swatting himself, searching for the annoying cause of his pain, but Bonefang had landed out of reach and was panting for breath.

Watertail transformed into her human form and climbed goat-like up the giant's massive back. She hung on as her opponent swayed and thundered. Finally she mounted the huge bald head of the giant and bit down deep into his fleshy ear, ignoring the foul taste of giant skin. The giant wailed and clapped a hand to his ear. Watertail leaped from his head as he stumbled, sobbing, into the forest.

Haresdeath battled fiercely with a large Death Eater. He dived out of the way of the curses, inching steadily closer to him.

"Crucio! Avada Kedava! I'll get you soon, you cursed mutt! Crucio! Crucio!" Suddenly a sandstorm of black dust welled up behind him and the Death Eater turned brandishing his wand.

"Stay away from my brother." Nightfur's eyes were wild, his hair disheveled and dark circles carved themselves under his eyes. The Death Eater paused, terrified at this wild man before him. Haresdeath leapt, killing his opponent with a quick bite to the neck.

The entire world shook, desperately tossing the battling wizards to the ground. Forstfur panted, her muzzle caked in dirt and blood. "What are those things?"

"I don't know, but I don't like them." Moonpaw answered, dodging a stray spell as she caught sight of giant spiders scurrying from the forest. "Pull back to the castle! Defend the castle!" She called, and the Hillpack broke off the fight. Longtooth and Sunrunner struggling under the weight of Watertail. She had broken her ankle after leaping from the giant.

Inside the entrance hall, Death Eaters were dueling students and teachers. A band of desks was also in the riot, but Moonpaw did not worry about them as they mobbed a masked Death Eater. Fenrir Greyback stood, his back turned on her, ready to swipe Ferrin Selwyn who had foolishly ventured to join the fight.

Moonpaw snarled, growling menacingly as she leaped between Ferrin and the werewolf. "You stay away from her." Greyback smiled triumphantly and dropped to all fours. Ferrin ran into a classroom and shut the door behind her, barricading it with the teacher's desk there as green vines began to work their way under the door.

Moonpaw and Greyback traded blows, testing the other's strength and fighting style. Greyback rose to his hind legs and made to claw Moonpaw's eyes. Moonpaw bowled him over, pushing him to the ground. Greyback howled and racked her stomach with his dirty claws. Moonpaw huffed in pain and jumped from him.

He kicked out, but Moonpaw bit deep into his legs, severing the tendons. Greyback lashed out, gashing Moonpaw's cheek. He righted himself and racked his claws along the wolf's back. She snarled in pain and twisted her neck to bite his arm. Greyback howled, and waving his arm, threw his attacker from him. Moonpaw hit the wall and lay unmoving at its base.

The little one was gone. But here on the ground, another girl. He licked his lips in anticipation, and he was blasted off his feet. A huge, blunt object struck him and he knew no more.

The dead lay in a row in the middle of the hall. Fred Weasley, surrounded by family. Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks lay pale and still. The dead lay separate, apart from the living who were being tended on the raised platform at the far end. Except one. One living person lay among the dead, two figures crouched over her.

"I'm sorry, there's no cure for werewolf wounds," Madam Pomfrey had said softly. But still, it seemed cruel that she should lie here, without hope, without even an attempt to save her. Bonefang, still in wolf form, licked her wounds fiercely as though trying to seal them with his tongue alone. Frostfur knelt looking down in horror at Moonpaw's face.

"Frost," Moonpaw pleaded. Frostfur took her hand, and blood dripped wetly from it onto her own white robes. "Promise me…"

"What?" Frostfur asked softly, tears dripping to mix with the blood. Moonpaw's robes were soaked in blood, it stained the pallet beneath her and spread out onto the stone flagons of the floor.

"Frost, the blood Alpha dies with me," Moonpaw licked her lips, flinching at the taste of her own blood. "You know the code." Of course she knew the code. Without an heir, the next Alpha would be the first's murderer. "Don't let Greyback be the Alpha, Frost."

"What must I do?" Frostfur whispered.

"Swear to lead the Hillpack. Promise me – promise you'll look after them. Swear to put the good of the pack before your own. Promise…"

"I promise, sister." Moonpaw sighed in satisfaction then turned to Bonefang.

"Bone." He transformed, blood still staining his mouth, dripping sickeningly down his chin. He sat, tears flowing unashamed down his cheeks.

"Don't leave me," he sobbed pitifully. Moonpaw still had an arm wrapped around her stomach, as though trying to hold her life in. She smiled comfortingly through the pain.

"I love you, Bone."

"I've always loved you."

"I know."

"Please, don't go. Please…" Bonefang begged hoarsely. Moonpaw sighed and reached her hand out, placing it over his heart gently.

"I'll never leave you. If you need me, look here." She let her hand drop, leaving a bloody handprint on the robes over Bonefang's chest. She looked up toward the ceiling of the Great Hall, where the stars shone feebly and the moon gleamed from behind the clouds.

"Look at the moon," she commanded, and her mourners looked skywards. So intently did they watch the swirling stars, that Frostfur did not notice at first as Moonpaw's hand slipped from her own, fur beginning to cover it once more. She lay curled beneath the blankets, her steel-grey fur glinting with blood in the moonlight.

The entire castle echoed with the wolfpeople's sorrow. Frostfur had been the first to notice Moonpaw's passing, and she cried out in grief. Bonefang soon joined, his voice rising and falling as his heart tore. Wolves in the hall threw back their heads and howled sadness toward the unfeeling moon. Even Nightfur, after only the slightest hesitation, joined in.

"I was under the impression you two didn't get along." McGonagall had come up behind him, the scar on her cheek fading. Nightfur looked at the professor calmly, a single tear tracing it's way down his cheek.

"She put her pack before herself, and that is all anyone can ask," he answered softly. McGonagall gave a razor-blade sharp smile.

"And you? If you had switched places, could Moon say the same of you?"

"I hope so…" Nightfur trailed off. Haresdeath came up and threw an arm over his brother's shoulder, leading him into the crowd growing around the fallen Hillpack leader.

Frostfur grabbed her wrist, staring terrified at her hand. Her robes were still stained scarlet from Moonpaw's blood, but her hand… Where Moonpaw's blood, the blood Alpha, had touched Frostfur's hand it sank into her skin. She felt her heart pumping faster, mixing the new blood with her own. The blood Alpha.

She had died for nothing, Frostfur thought furiously, glancing at the body of Harry Potter, lain at the evil's feet. Nothing, her sacrifice did not matter if Harry was dead. Neville stood between the defenders of Hogwarts and the ranks of victorious Death Eaters. The evil was forcing something onto the boy's head, but the didn't matter.

"That's him," Frostfur breathed to Nightfur. She saw his black eyes flick toward Greyback and return forward.

"Wait for it," he cautioned, a restraining hand on her wrist. And suddenly, there was no need for wait or restraint. Fire licked Neville's head, and the centaurs crashed from the forest, shooting arrows into the Death Eaters' backs. Grawp charged the giants surrounding the evil, and everyone pushed forward into the castle.

Tripping over angry house-elves the wolfpeople grouped together in the Great Hall. The room was packed with dueling wizards and fighting creatures, but they searched for one, for revenge. At last Fenrir Greyback emerged, battling Ron and Neville.

"Get him!" Frostfur roared launching herself, upon the werewolf. Nightfur, Bonefang, Haresdeath, Watertail, every member of the wolfpeople packs swarmed after her. Greyback disappeared under a heaving, vengeful swarm of bodies.

The wolfpeople stood back, surveying their work. Greyback was an unrecognizable bloody lump. Frostfur spat on him and turned, kicking dust over his body.

Impossibly, Harry Potter stood in the center of the great hall, not a hundred meters away. He was alive, and the evil… the evil was dead. Nightfur gently took Frostfur's hand and looked her in her blue, tear-filled eyes.

"Because of Moon," he whispered, and Frostfur nodded.

"Where are they?" asked Albus anxiously, peering at the hazy forms the passes as they made their way down the platform.

"We'll find them," said Ginny reassuringly. "I think that's them, Al." A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Harry, Ginny, lily, Albus, and James had drawn right up to them.

"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved. Rose, who was already wearing her brand new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him. Ron and Hermione smiled at Harry and Ginny, while Hugo bounced over to Lily. Catching Harry's eye, Ron nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.

"Look who it is." Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife and son, a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. The new boy resembled Draco as much as Albus resembled Harry. Draco caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly and looked away.

"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath, but Harry was peering through the mist toward another clutch of people further along the platform. Unlike Draco, whose hair was simply bleached blonde, the woman standing there had truly white hair. She caught sight of Harry, and began to stride over to him.

"Hello, Harry. Ron, Hermione, Ginny." Frostfur nodded politely, turning to ensure that the dark haired girl and grey haired boy were following her. "This is Swanflight and Darkmoon."

"Hello, are you two going to Hogwarts too?" Harry asked them kindly. The two nodded shyly, the boy clutching his father's robes. Nightfur smiled and ruffled his son's grey hair.

"Following Sunshadow and Larchpaw," he smiled. "Just like Dumbledore promised they could." He nudged Darkmoon, and the little girl shyly presented her brand new wand to the wizard families.

"Well done," Ginny congratulated, and Darkmoon and Swanflight smiled shyly back.


End file.
